


Seeds of Panem

by ForFutureReference



Series: A History of Panem [1]
Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Post-Mockingjay, Pre-Hunger Games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 17:21:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4488147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForFutureReference/pseuds/ForFutureReference
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before Panem could rise, our civilization had to fall. The series of events leading up to Panem's foundation, as seen through the eyes of a college student in the Capitol. Some random classroom stuff on the side. Frame narrative set a couple years after the conclusion of the Mockingjay Rebellion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Day

It's the first day, and I'm already late to class.

It doesn't help that these damn Capitolites do nothing but mill around, making traversing any open space an arduous chore. Even with the redistribution of resources back to the districts, they still attempt to cling onto their ridiculous fashion sense and mannerisms, albeit in a slightly subdued manner. Probably still in denial, even after almost three years since Snow choked on his own blood and Coin took an impromptu dive off a balcony.

I finally make it to the lecture hall, and am about to enter, when I'm stopped by several armed men at the door.

"Sir, we're going to have to search you. Standard-procedure. Proof of enrollment and ID, please?" asks a guard, who looks like he would rather be anywhere other than here and is itching for an excuse to take out his frustrations on somebody.

Biting down some colorful suggestions, I give them my itinerary and badge, after which they frisk me and look through my bag. They pause for a bit to inspect the pens I keep in my vest, as well as my compact flashlight, which puts me on edge. However, appearing to be satisfied with the result, everything's given back and I'm waved in.

Despite my attempts at subtlety, my entrance garners attention from the good chunk of the class; much of it agitated. I also see my roommate smirking, which confirms my suspicion as to why my alarm failed to go off or why my shoes appeared on top of the shelf back at the dorm.

_Maybe I shouldn't have called him a District Two meathead _…_  or reprogrammed the room's visual projector to simulate an tracker jacker attack._

_Nah…_

Despite this, once I'm inside, he takes his bag off the space next to him and good-naturedly pats the seat, which I quickly occupy after making sure there is nothing in it. Fortunately, it looks like the lecturer will be even later than me.

Dio's the first to speak: "Hey, you made it. I was getting worried there for a bit."

"What can I say? There's nothing quite like being fashionably late. When in the Capitol…" I end my statement with that ridiculous accent.

"Does that include not wearing any shoes?"

"Making a stylistic impact. I believe the Capitolites call it 'District Chic'."

"Alrighty then…" I can see the laughter in his eyes.  _Might as well dispense with the pleasantries._

"You know what? First off: you have a terrible poker face. And secondly: fuck you and your one-meter vertical leap."

"Not my fault you're an entire foot shorter than me, or that I'm physical perfection incarnate," Dio says while tossing his head back as if he were in some Capitol shampoo ad. The fact that his sandy blond hair is short enough that it doesn't move around when he moves his head makes the gesture all the more ridiculous.

I answer that with a glare. "I hate you."

"No you don't." He gives me a wide grin, making it difficult to remain angry with him. "And I know that you know that I know that you would have woken-up in time to make it here, even if you were a bit late."

He has a point there. My roommate may be playful, and sometimes a hazard to himself and others, but he isn't malicious; I actually think he's incapable of being mean. First off, what he put out of reach wasn't anything important, like my school bag. Secondly, I actually did wake up with time to spare, although still an entire hour after the alarm should have gone off. The only reason I was late was due to my repeated-yet-futile attempts at retrieving my shoes. If anything, the alarm's purpose was to give a buffer in the event of such a thing happening, which it looks like he realized.

 _The alarm was password-protected._  That realization causes me to shake my head. I keep forgetting that Dio is a lot smarter, or at least perceptive, than he lets on. He had to have been to win a free ride here like me, courtesy of the Paylor Reconstruction Ordinance.

"In any case, ready to concede defeat?" he asks me, even though the answer should be obvious.

The notion of that creates a smile on my own, albeit one that's probably more predatory in nature. "Not a chance. Especially if you end up screaming and/or running into a closed door like that again. I don't think tiny pre-pubescent Capitol girls are able to reach that octave."

"Hey, you simply startled me," Dio blurts-out with a scowl, "and anybody with a brain knows to be wary of tracker jackers.

"Though, I'll admit that was a pretty nifty illusion you made. How'd you pull it off?"

"I actually worked on that specific projector model before my teenage years; mostly at the the testing phase," I breezily remark before realizing my mistake.

"Oh…" A sober look crosses his face, and I involuntarily wince. Don't really understand the melodrama, but all one needs to do to make Dio here go from ridiculously cheerful to a kicked-puppy is to mention the pre-Rebellion Peacekeeper force, the Careers, or the child-labor element of most districts. Whatever the details were to make those a sore point, I'm not one to prod.

Fortunately, he also has the attention span of a puppy.

"Hey," I prompt, "what's with the intimacy at the entrance?"

That snaps him out of his depressing reverie. "Oh you mean the security? Check out our fellow classmates."

I look around. Besides the two of us, there are the other twenty-four tributes — *ahem*, students — from the P.R.O. program, as well as several Capitolites. Then I notice the group of people off to the side: President Paylor herself, plus several other government officials I can't name off the top of my head. All of them seated as students from the looks of it. Oh, and an impressive security detail flanking the room.

"I guess she really is serious about this program," I note, "though I wonder when our lecturer's going to show up."

Right on cue, a man in a plain suit strides to the stage. If it weren't for the alternating highlights of dark crimson streaking through his dark brown hair, I wouldn't suspect that he came from the Capitol. If anything, the most remarkable thing about him is how unremarkable he is. Indeterminate age, average height, average build, average haircut, and average unblemished face. All he'd need to do is get rid of those streaks, and he could probably blend into any crowd.

"Morning ladies and gentlemen. Sorry for being late." He says with a voice that also lacks the Capitol accent. Actually, he seems to lack any accent. His method of talking isn't a monotone drone, per say, but simply something just as unremarkable as his physical features, if in a fairly measured manner.

"Apparently I am to be your instructor. My name is Professor Suetonius Shinehawk, and yes, I do realize how ridiculous it is." This is met with titters from most of the class. Well, except for the Capitolites and the two kids from One, Opal and Velvet, who greet his comment with stoniness. As well as Paylor, though her case is probably more out of professionalism; she seems to be barely holding down a smirk.

He goes on as if nobody reacted to that, "Because of this, I request that you call me Professor Suetonius or simply Suetonius. You are all technically adults here. Just do not call me Sue." More titters.

"First off, I would like you all to bring out your tablets and log in." He holds out his own while we rummage for ours, which were given to us at the beginning of orientation. After it has been clear that we all have logged-in, Suetonius continues.

"The great thing about these is that I don't have to call roll or attempt to remember you names. You all just appear here," he says while gesturing at his own tablet, "in the right spot and everything. But more importantly, these allow you to access the Capitol Archives to help you in your studies.

"While we are attempting to hook all of Panem up to the Archives, the fact remains that there are still some logistical issues to overcome, as well as the issue of whether it being wise to allow complete unfettered access to all the information stored here. But I digress.

"My role is to take care of the Capitol Archives, which has been our repository of stored information since the foundation of Panem. I have been doing this gig for the last 20 years. During Snow's reign, it also mostly involved censoring the good chunk of information that was to come out as well as storing confiscated material. Now, fortunately, I don't have to do that unpleasant task, and I can focus on disseminating information responsibly instead of keeping an impossibly tight lid on it.

"Anyways, welcome to my Pre-Panem Civilization class. The majority of you are probably here because this class was required, and many are probably wondering, 'I thought we are supposed to learn about Panem. What does the civilization that came before have to do with anything?' Well to understand why this nation is the way it is, one has to understand how we got there in the first place. And how we can avoid repeating previous avoidable mistakes."

He proceeds to tap at his tablet which starts a projector up.

"As any historian knows, the best things you can have are primary sources, be they speeches, journals, articles, original footage, and so on. So that is how my classes will proceed, with one or two sources to focus on per session.

"Our focus is going to be on the 22nd Century CE, which roughly translated to a little over four hundred years ago. In the interest of comprehension, at least in the beginning, I will give both the labeled year and what it translated to in years BP or Before Panem.

"So as today is the introductory session, I thought it best to start things off with the very beginning of the century so you all can get a feel for the era."

* * *

The video begins with a nighttime bird's-eye view of a city, and the first thing that comes to mind is that it is  _huge_. I remember my first impression upon coming to the Capitol was how grandiose it seemed; well, this city put the Capitol to shame. I'm sure that a good number of the skyscrapers dwarf even the Games Headquarters. Even though the bulk of development seems to be concentrated on a large strip of land flanked by two rivers, the lights make it clear that it continues on past said rivers. Judging from the gasps emanating around me, and the drawn-out whistle coming from Dio, I'm not the only one impressed.

After a moving through the towers, the footage settles on a canyon-like intersection that did appear to be more like the Capitol than the rest of the city. Every single building is covered in a television screens and brightly-lit signs, and a sea of people crowds the streets below.

Finally it shifts to two reporters standing on a platform with the crowd as the backdrop. While they appear to be dressed in a festive manner, there isn't that absurd garishness that you see with the Capitolites.

"Greetings from New York and Happy New Year's Eve, America!"

Ah, so that's the name of the city. Keying it quickly on my pad, I see that it was a major city in the United States. From the looks of its location, now it's part of the large patch of land known as the Eastern Wilderness. A look at the figures shows that around the year 2100, the city population was close to 15 million, which confirms my conclusion that this city was much bigger than the Capitol. Hell, there were more people in New York than in all of Panem today, the population of which is still under 10 million people.

"We're currently not only celebrating the coming year, but seeing the close of the 21st Century. And what an eventful century at that!" The broadcasters alternate as they talk.

"Indeed it was. You could say that this past century did not begin on the year 2000 but rather the next year, in this very city, with the 9/11 attacks. From that moment on, we've had a cavaclade of sociopolitical events: the War on Terror, global economic woes, worldwide protests, regime change throughout in the Middle East, skirmishes at the US-Mexican border, the territorial collapse of China, Korea's Reunification War, the Lahore Incident, Arab League recognition of Israel…"

"Not to mention the environmental issues we have been having, notably the rash of droughts and fires out west, as well as the one-meter sea level rise that resulted in necessary measures such as building the Bloomberg Locks to protect this great city or the complete abandonment of many communities including the city of New Orleans. That is not even getting into the less fortunate nations such as the Maldives, Nauru, and Bangladesh."

"At the same time, it bears mentioning the social and scientific achievements made. These include equalization of rights regardless of orientation, gender, or race, our first ethnic minority and woman presidents being elected, the construction of a space elevator and a manned mission to Mars, improvements in agriculture and medicine, allowing the majority of the developing world to reach emergent status, and the successful weaning of this nation from fossil fuels."

"We sure have had a busy century. I believe an introspective in in order."

With that, the footage shifts to a montage of different events, a lot of it passing by too quickly for me to comprehend fully what's going on: Aircraft crashing into two near-identical buildings. A long convoy of military vehicles in the desert. A city being flooded from a levee break. Protests. People forced to sell their homes. A dark-skinned man addressing a cheering crowd about the power of hope. A beach covered in tar. Protests morphing into a full-on war like what occurred a couple years ago. A bunch of highlights from sporting events. Drought and crop failures. A machine moving up a long cable into space. An ornate domed building, flanked by four towers of the same white stone, collapsing into a dry riverbed. A tour of what looks to be a fusion reactor. Stem cells being extracted. Protests again. More images of war. A man in an environmental suit walking along a red landscape. Tents full of refugees. A lot of handshakes going around…

The montage ends, going back to the reporters.

"Talk about eventful. Here's to the next century being high on progress and low on drama."

"And just in time. It looks like we have thirty seconds to go."

The focus is set on the building where a countdown is occurring. As the numbers count down, I focus on a glowing ball lowering down. Once the "10" is reached, the whole crowd joins in on the countdown.

"… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Happy New Year's!"

Accompanying that is an explosion of fireworks and confetti, with a big "2100" emblazoned on the central screen. Immediately everybody begins either kissing or singing a song about not forgetting old acquaintances. The song's kinda catchy.

With the conclusion of that, a montage of New Year's celebrations from is shown from a diverse collection of other cities, the good chunk of those cities just as large as New York, if not larger. Some are extravagant spectacles of lights and explosions, other are clearly traditional cultural processions. All are thankfully captioned: Sydney, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Mumbai, Tehran, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Cairo, Cape Town, Lagos, Moscow, Istanbul, Berlin, Vatican City, Paris, London, Rio de Janeiro, and Buenos Aires.

It seems that all of civilization is showing such a strong amount of confidence that even I can't help but feel at awe at the spectacle to be had, be it from the celebrations or the cities themselves.

However, at the same time, I can't help but wonder:  _Where and how the hell did they screw up down the line?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, the whole concept of what happened to the "world before" was something that interested me a lot. SC crafted a fascinating society, but since the focus was on a teenager who's main concern was to survive (and protect her friends/family... oh and kill Snow), naturally you're not going see much musing on sociopolitical events of the past. So I decided to do a story focusing on just that. It helps that SC gave us just enough information to set the tone but left a ton of room for interpretation.
> 
> As mentioned in-story, the main focus of this is going to be on primary sources at the time, namely news articles and broadcasts, making this somewhat of an epistolary story. Originally, this story was going to purely be documents-based, with our-yet-unnamed protagonist's only purpose to serve as a narrator. However, things sort of grew from there. That being said, again the focus will be on the academic subject.
> 
> If you're curious about what happens outside of the classroom, check out the in-progress fic "Somebody's Problem", which goes before, parallel, and after this and delves into Panem society post-Mockingjay.


	2. Unity

This session, I manage to wake-up and get to the lecture on time.

Ironically, I think I would have preferred to have gotten here late again as there is a line of people waiting due to the security precautions, with me and Dio at the end of said line. No wonder the security team was in such a surly mood last time. Though I notice that their demeanor vastly improves when Natt and Danni from Eight pass through the checkpoint. There is even some cheerful banter between them, which makes me suspect that the guards are from Eight as well. Then it clicks that they were probably part of Paylor's unit back during the Rebellion, which makes sense as she would probably want to have people she was familiar with the most to serve as her own personal security.

By the time I'm up to experience the "standard procedure", you could curdle milk with the mood emanating from the guards. Judging from the harsher-than-usual scowl, the guy in charge remembers me as the kid who came in late, instead of with the group, and forced them to accommodate his arrival. He's probably going to dredge that frustration up every time I go through the checkpoint.

_You know what? I don't care what your nametag says. From now on, I dub thee 'Chuckles'._

Fortunately, everything goes without incident and I take my seat. This time, Suetonius is already waiting for us. "Okay, before we begin, does anybody have any questions?"

When nobody else responds, Dio tentatively raises his hand. "Sir, I was wondering. You say that you were head historian under Snow's rule. How is it that you kept your job? Most top officials have been booted out, if not imprisoned after the Rebellion."

"Good question…" Suetonius glances at his pad and pauses, almost frowning at it. "Diocletian is it?"

"Um, I prefer Dio, sir."

Suetonius finally looks up and fixes a level gaze at Dio, who begins squirming a bit in his seat. "Thank you. I would rather not have to deal with that mouthful of a name," the professor states. "I take it that your parents were really fond of Snow's reign. In fact, judging from your district and physical build, you were probably meant to be a Career or Peacekeeper. Am I correct?"

The only response this garners is just more squirming.

Suetonius is undeterred, and his gaze becomes steely. "Am. I. Correct?"

My roommate finally answers in a small voice, "You're correct on all counts, sir. But… how could you tell?" He trails off, looking unsure whether he wants to know the answer.

"Oh, just the simple fact that they named you after an emperor who broke his empire up into multiple sections to more easily rule with an iron fist, aggressively sought to eliminate any threats to said empire, and, last but not least, viciously persecuted a group of people, of all ages, in the most brutal and bloody manner simply because their beliefs were different. And now you are part of a program that could lead to you become a future leader of the new Panem. I definitely look forward to the future." Sarcasm drips from Suetonius' statement as he gives a slow, even, clap.

Puppy, meet high-velocity jackboot punt. Dio slumps in his seat and, while attempting to make himself look smaller, stares dejectedly at his desk. My jaw simply drops as I stare at the professor, and an irrational bout of anger seethes inside me.  _That… prick._

Looking around, I can see that the rest of my classmates are just as shocked with what they just heard. The president herself has her hands balled into fists.

"You aren't exactly the nicest person," pipes-up Velvet, ever astute of the obvious.

Our esteemed lecturer just snorts at that comment. "My job is not to be nice. It is to safeguard yesterday's treasures so those today can learn from them. And now, it is teach you what occurred back then so you don't screw things up for tomorrow.

"Most likely, our shy Career is actually a decent fellow judging from the indignant expressions on many of your faces, especially the pipsqueak from…" he quickly glances at his tablet and raises an eyebrow, "huh, Three, who looks ready to jump up and throttle the life out of me. That does not change the fact that upbringing and environment can color one's perception of things."

After that, a very serious look comes upon his face. "The thing is, after the Games, the mandated starvation, draconian measures, and the recent Rebellion, there are more than a few grudges going around. People from other districts hate the Capitol for the past regime. Then there is lingering resentment towards the so-called Career Districts from the rest of them, with an additional dose of hatred towards District Two for not supporting the Rebellion and training the Peacekeepers. And let us not forget that Capitol residents who still fear that retribution will be enacted and resent the districts for shaking-up their lifestyle. I could go on. You all may not personally carry those grudges, but if you are to take an active role in this nation, you will have to address them. If anything, I actually found it a good sign that most of you are willing to become angry for a person from another district, especially Two."

"So…" I ask measuredly, "this was just a test?"

"Oh, I meant everything I said about Emperor Diocletian being a terrible role model, except for possibly as a military leader and the guarantee of domestic stability, and the name itself as being questionable. But I will say that all of you have the potential to become bloodthirsty tyrants, not just those from the Career Districts or the Capitol. So it was nothing personal, yes?" He says, turning to Dio, who just nods a bit in response, his eyes still focused on the desk.

"As for the original question: Why was I not fired with the rest of Snow's top officials? Certainly, a lot of lower-ranking people are currently standing on trial, including those I know and have worked with. Maybe it is because I was pretty removed from the events going on. It might be because that I never hid my distaste for a regime that forced me to censor works before passing them to the education secretary.

"But mostly, it is probably because I am the only person who knows how to run the Archive. For that, the new government may actually have learned some things from the past. If you are interested in this tidbit, I suggest you look up the French Revolution of the late 18th century, as well as the Iraqi De-Ba'athification process at the beginning of the early 21st century, to see what happens to your country when you attempt to remove every single speck of the old regime instead on focusing on the parts that matter. Conversely, look up the lives of Telleyrand and Werner von Braun as examples of countries looking past a person's prior allegiance and actions due to the indispensability of their skills."

A flurry of murmurs goes up from the class.  _Telleyrand? Werner von Braun?_

The funny thing is, Suetonius actually looks pleased with the reaction. He decides to explain. "Talleyrand was a foreign minister of France who saw regimes in his country come and go: the kings, the Republic, Napoleon, and the kings again. And he worked for all of them. Even though these regimes were all mutual enemies, he was indispensable to everybody. And Von Braun was a rocket designer for Nazi Germany, an authoritarian regime known for its aggressive acts of expansionism, race theory, and systematic murder of 11 million people." A good chunk of the class blanches at that little statistic, which Suetonius notices. "Oh yes, 11 million civilians, including children, as well as prisoners of war. Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, as well as the Soviet Union under Stalin's rule, are wonderful examples of early-to-mid 20th century regimes that thought nothing of mass murder. If you have the time, I am sure you will find them to be a thrilling read. Throw in the Khmer Rouge for good measure as well.

"Anyways, back to von Braun. It was joked that he 'aimed for the stars,' but his rockets often hit London, the capital city of Great Britain, which was an enemy of the Nazi regime. After Germany lost the war, the Americans overlooked the fact that he employed starved slave labor to build his rockets for their space program. With von Braun running the project, the Americans were not only able to compete in the Space Race against their rival, the Soviet Union, they ended up being the first people to put a man on the moon. Note that, from the time of von Braun's transfer to the US, it took less than 23 years for them to achieve the lunar landing. They did so without slaves, by the way."

I'm astonished… I knew we went to space but not that we did so such a short amount of time. I look at Dio, who just shrugs and shakes his head. He's still out of it, which reminds me to be pissed off at our professor.

"In any case, let us get back to the subject at hand. If you take a look at your tablets, you'll see your reading material," Suetonius say.

I look down at my tablet, thankful for something to distract me.

* * *

United American Federation Formalized in New Capital City

August 23, 2100  _(249 B.P.)_  (AP) – CENTERPOINT, CDA – President Samuel Lee, Canadian Prime Minister Bernard Garneau, and United Nations Secretary-General Ashok Vanda signed the United American Federation Declaration of Union at a massive public ceremony here this morning, formally uniting the two North American nations after years of negotiations, before thousands of attendees.

Under the Declaration, the United States and Canada will become a single nation, whose capital will be Centerpoint, which will be located on Sugar Island. The area, consisting of Sugar Island, Chippewa County, and southern Algoma, will comprise the "Capital District of America." (CDA) The two nations will be led by a Chief-Commander, who will be elected by the joint legislature.

"Today is a historic day for the United States and Canada," said President Lee. "Two great nations are uniting their joint pasts to forge a united future. We will build prosperity, liberty, justice, and security for all of our citizens, American and Canadian."

"Canada's future and identity is tied inextricably to its neighbor and uniting our resources to bring peace, order, and good government to all of our peoples. Together we will enjoy prosperity and justice," said Prime Minister Garneau.

"Our world is moving closer together than ever before," said Secretary-General Vanda. "This federation will be a model for regions across the world to unite."

Under the declaration, the two nations will unify many of their federal departments and ministries at Centerpoint, including Defense, Justice, Treasury, Department of Industry, Department of Commerce, Interior, and the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, which will operate out of the newly-opened Federal Legal Center (FLC) neo-Byzantine structures that have been under construction for the past eight years. In addition, foreign nations will move their embassies, from Washington and Ottawa, to the CDA by the end of 2105.

However, the two nations will continue to maintain separate defense forces, which will answer to the united command at Centerpoint.

While the two nations are unifying much of their operations, many national governmental functions will continue in Washington, D.C., and Ottawa, which will remain the capitals of their respective countries, for addressing internal matters. In addition, Canada is retaining its status as a member of the British Commonwealth, while the United States remains a member of the Pan-American Union. The two nations will also continue to field separate sports teams at the Olympics and FIFA events.

The process to the formation of the U.A.F. was one that was long and gradual, starting in earnest with the Open Borders agreement in 2035. Talk of forming the Federation commenced 2058, and in 2076, the American Standard dollar (ASD) replaced the United States dollar and Canadian dollar. Recognition by the United Nations was finally affirmed in 2084, with the drafting of the Federal Constitution.

Not everybody has been enthusiastic about UAF's formation. Critics in the U.S. claim that it undermines the principle of sovereignty, while some Canadians consider the Federation to have formed as a way for the US to take advantage of increasing amounts of arable land due to permafrost melt.

Meanwhile there has been criticism from the international community towards the consolidation of US and Canadian territorial claims to the Arctic. The point of serious contention is the UAF adoption of Canada's previous claim to what it considered internal waters, including the Northwest Passage. Some countries worry that these claims, now bolstered by U.S. naval power, would put a monopolizing stranglehold on trade routes.

Elections for the Senate are to occur in October 5, with two senators elected per state, province, and the District of Columbia, giving a total of 138 senators to legislate the Federation. The next week, the Chief-Commander is to be appointed by legislative vote, with one vote given per state and DC, and four votes per province; there has to be at least 5/8 of the votes, or 65 votes, for a person to be elected Chief-Commander.

The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be on January 24, with unified operations commencing on the 25th.

* * *

Along with the article, several images are given of Centerpoint. It seems to consist mainly of a campus of squat buildings made out of brick and stone, with the most prominent one having a wide dome over it. Behind the campus is a massive structure in the form of a pentagon, which must be the creatively-named 'Pentagon'. Unlike the sterile and gaudy Capitol, it is notable that they attempted to integrate the buildings into woodlands, which seem to comprise most of the island. The area immediately surrounding at least half the island seems to be completely urbanized though, especially towards the west.

Once it is clear that everybody has finished reading, Suetonius asks, "So, thoughts on what we just read?"

Natt is the first to speak: "So the nation that Panem is based off of was actually two countries originally?"

Suetonius nods in response, "Indeed. The United States of America and the Dominion of Canada. While relatively new in comparison to other powers across the ocean, both of them had already become economically and military powerhouses at least a couple hundred years before this article. The United States in particular was considered a powerhouse in the international arena, especially with a powerful naval force that allowed it to project its power and protect its, and its allies', economic interests. Canada was no slouch either, and by this time, had the benefit of huge reserves of natural resources.

"The increasingly-warmer climate was especially beneficial to it due to the opening of fertile land for agriculture and waterways for shipping in the north. The US, on the other hand, was struggling in that regard due to unpredictable weather in its agricultural interior. One summer it would be an everlasting drought that dried-up farmlands, the next would be a rainy season that oversaturated the soil and flooded many locations. However, the US's industrial, technological, and economic sectors were still going strongly, as was its military. So by that time, it was decided by the two countries to combine their strengths to form the UAF. Of course, Sugar Island was chosen due its central location straddling the border of the two countries."

I'm the next one to ask a question. "Looking at the map, I notice that several of these states, notably Hawaii, Guam, the Northern Marianas, and American Samoa, are extremely far removed from the US proper. How were they able to be part of the country like that?"

"Ease in communication," Suetonius remarks. "With communications technology allowing for clear transmission and advanced displays, a Guamanian representative in Washington was able to speak with his constituents in Agana as if he were actually there in-person."

I bring up one more point: "So I take it that these criticisms from the other nations about the Arctic claims will contribute to some issues down the road."

He answers me with a grim smile. "You will see how things turn out.

"Well, look at the time," he says while looking at his watch, which is kind of redundant since our pads already tell the time. "By the time you all come back to here next week, I would like a report on the similarities and the differences between states, provinces, and pre-Rebellion districts. If there are no further questions, then class dismissed."

As most of the class is already filing out, I nudge Dio, who hasn't made any move to put his stuff away but rather is just sitting away all morose and unresponsive.

_Damn, that little exchange at the beginning of class really did him in._

"Hey kid, come on. We need to go," I say gently. After some coaxing, I finally get him to put his stuff away, and we move to vacate our seats.

As we start to leave however, I notice Paylor walking determinately up to Suetonius, who simply looks up from packing-up his stuff and quips, "Ah Brinna, what can I do for you today?"

"Spare me Suetonius," Paylor snaps. "I know we agreed that I was to attend to your lectures as a student, not as president. However, I will not tolerate a teacher abusing his position to bully one of his students like that." She is making no attempt to have this conversation be private.

Suetonius releases an exasperated sigh and gestures towards our direction, causing us to freeze. "I take it you are referring to my dialogue with our little Caree—"

"Don't call him that!" Paylor interrupts in a snarl, and I'm glad to not be at the receiving end of her anger. "You may be indispensable to this nation, but that doesn't mean I can't find a way to make your life a living hell."

Her threat doesn't seem to ruffle Suetonius in the slightest. "I admire your fire and protective nature. I suspect that it was something that suited you well as both a teacher and military commander, and I see it being good for the presidency. However…" He turns the same steely gaze upon the president. "I would like to ask you something. When you trained your rebels, many of whom were your former students, did you coddle them and hold their hands the whole way through? Shelter them from the horrors of war?"

"That was war. This is peacetime," Paylor states earnestly.

Her statement's dismissed with an impatient wave. "Oh please. I may stay around the Archives, but that does not mean that I am unaware of the current events. I know about the resource disputes. I know about Thirteen and the Capitol dragging their respective feet. I know," Suetonius leans ominously towards Paylor before continuing, "about the rise of militant groups and the attempts on your life. And I bet these kids know about the various demands to bring back the Hunger Games, with every demand suspiciously excluding the demander's home district."

He goes back to packing-up his materials while continuing to talk. "I believe your intentions are in the right place, but you are severely underestimating the resilience of these kids. Most of them have lived through the Rebellion in a first-hand manner. Some probably even fought in it, including both of those from your district of Eight, yes?" He briefly stops for an affirmation from Paylor, who simply nods.

"In any case, if these students are unable to handle a couple snide comments from a cranky archivist, what makes you think that they would be able to handle the unreasonable demands of a dangerous fringe element, negotiations with other districts, or mediations between different factions within their own district? That is not getting into the possibility of them working at the national level." Suetonius finishes packing at exactly the same time he stops talking.

Paylor is busy squeezing the bridge of her nose and looks completely flustered. Finally, she says, "We'll deal with that subject when we get to it. In the meantime, see if you can find some way tone down the meanness. I'm not telling you to be like Peeta or anything. And I know that you seem incapable of functioning without a dose of bluntness and snark, something which I actually find refreshing in this city. But minding what you say can't hurt. A little respect goes a long way."

Suetonius looks as if he finds the whole concept of being nicer distasteful, but finally shrugs his shoulders and responds before heading out, "I will see what I can do. Good day."

It is in that moment where I realize that only a few people were left in the room for the past several minutes: me, Dio, Paylor, Seutonius, and the security team, who have been looking understandably uncomfortable about the exchange that just occurred.

I begin coaxing Dio to get a move on again, and we soon reach the door. Before we can make it out, Paylor stops us.

"I just want to say that I'm sorry about earlier. Suetonius may be extremely smart and insightful, but he has all the tact and social grace of a tracker jacker."

"It's alright, ma'am…" I hear Dio mumble.  _Hey, progress!_

"No it isn't. Preparing you for the future or not, he shouldn't have bullied you like that. Also," she turns to me, "thank you for helping him. It means a lot."

She then departs out a side door, with the security team following.

_What the hell was that all about?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random useless trivia: Sugar Island was one location that was considered when they were looking for a place to put the UN back in the 40's.


	3. Alliances

_Blugh…_

I feel like punching some toddlers in the face right now; Capitolites are an acceptable substitution. Our celebration of Dio's 18th birthday was Sunday night/Monday morning; it's late Tuesday morning right now, and I'm still feeling the effects of the hangover. The bruise on my face doesn't help anything.

At least Dio's returned to his old happy-go-lucky self. While that upbeat mood of his certainly is not helping my current predicament, it's good to have him back; the whole "moping bag-of-angst" thing did not suit him. Actually, if anything, his current cheerfulness is a lot more genuine and less of a facade than it was beforehand. After last class period, the good long talk we had about his past seemed to have removed a considerable burden off his shoulders. On top of that, the guys from Six, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen are no longer treating him with complete and utter contempt. Not sure if pity is that much better, and it may have possibly required me blackmailing Natt, but we'll take what we can get.

Okay, there is also the fact that he got laid for the first time. Supposedly that's supposed to help a person's demeanor as well; I wouldn't know and really don't care. I still wish he had done it in a different room or bunk, especially when I wasn't occupying said bunk.

After making sure we have turned in our assignment, Suetonius starts the class off with his usual call for questions. Dio makes a point to be extremely interested in his tablet during this; he may have recovered from last time, but he's still unwilling to face the professor.

Natt speaks up. "Some of us were discussing an idea. You know how many have called for the Hunger Games to be reinstated?"

The class freezes and falls completely silent. Mentioning the calls to reinstate the Hunger Games is simply not a topic that to brought up in a setting with a bunch of other people around.

Suetonius simply raises an eyebrow and says, "Go on…"

I swear he briefly glanced at me in the process, and I now can see how Dio withered so quickly under his gaze. I may or may not have brought up Paylor's and Suetonius' discussion to some of the guys.

Natt doesn't seem to notice the tension. "Well, after last class period, we looked up the Olympics. What if we had something like that each year, with the districts each having a team? It'd be something for each district to rally around. Not to mention that it'd be something entertaining to watch without the whole… you know… 'kids killing kids' thing."

A considerable period of silence seems to pass, before Suetonius responds. "I am not one to make an opinion on that. However, I do know that the Olympics were a source of pride for many nations, be it for the hosts or nations that had sent high-performing athletes in.

"Since you brought it up, I am sure that this is something that may be taken seriously by our new government. It will likely be better than anything conjured up by Secretary Heavensbee," he says while looking at Paylor, who is writing in her tablet. For some reason, the mention of our Secretary of Communications makes her pick up the pace to an almost furious frenzy. Something tells me that she doesn't quite care for him.

The professor turns back to us. "Today is going to be a short class period. This will mostly be to set the tone for the rest of the class.

"During the latter part of the 21st century, several powerful political unions came into being. Unions formed as a way for nations to maintain security in both economics and defense. Many times, to ensure a sense of solidarity, they also had the borders open between the countries inside them. Note that their constituent parts were separately-functioning nations, with policies that were more individualistic that what you saw in something like the UAF."

He allows a blank map of the world to be projected on the screen before continuing.

"Even before the United States and Canada officially merged, they were already part of the American-Commonwealth Union. That was formed between the US, Commonwealth of Nations, and Liberia. It is noted that the United Kingdom had abandoned the multinational European Union, which had been in existence since the late-20th century, due to economic issues.

"With the dissolution of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2044, Russia became more assertive in its neighborly relations. It would soon form the Association of Eastern Europe, with any Slavic or Baltic state not already part of the EU joining its ranks.

"In 2036, economic issues caused the complete collapse of the People's Republic of China and subsequent fracturing of the country. Many parts of the former country, such as Tibet, Manchuria, and Xinjiang, thought this meant independence. However, when China recovered, Beijing was able to prop-up puppet governments in those new countries, as well as the existing nation of Mongolia. This was mostly due to an influx of Han Chinese into these regions, with the purpose of dissolving ethnic solidarity. The result was the Greater Co-Harmonious Sino Mandate.

"To counter the Mandate, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan formed the Pacific Rim Coalition of Free Nations. The Coalition would later create a defense and economic pact with the ACU, which would also do the same with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

"After the Lahore Incident, a peace-and-reconciliation treaty was brokered between the severely-weakened nations of India and Pakistan. They, along with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, left the Commonwealth to form the Union of Subcontinent Nations. This would join with Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Georgia, and the central Asian countries to form the Union for South and Central Asia. The USCA later formed a security pact with the AEE.

"Finally, we got the strengthening of Arab League and African Union. While the AU lost most of its constituent nations to the Arab League and ACU, it gained an ally in the Mandate. Back in the Western Hemisphere, the majority of Latin American nations, plus Suriname, formed the Union of Greater America. Meanwhile, all the Pacific island nations not already part of an existing union coalesced into the Pacific Alliance to support each other due to rising sea levels. The UGA would align with the AEE, while the Arab League and Pacific Alliance aligned with the ACU.

"Not every country joined into a union. Several declared neutrality, with some leaving a union in the process. There were various reasons for being neutral: culture and history, opportunism, or simply avoiding a political can of worms. The nations recognized as neutral were the Alpine Confederation, San Marino, Vatican City, Ukraine, Costa Rica-Panama, Cuba-Hispaniola, the Himalayan Coalition, Kurdistan, Israel, Ireland, Hejaz, and Madagascar."

As each union is explained, a piece of the map is filled-in with a different color, and arrows are drawn between the pieces to denote alliances. The only thing I can think when seeing the map is the absurd amount of acronyms utilized in Suetonius' presentation. Not to mention that the map itself looks like one colorful and confusing mess of unions and alliances. It's as if a whole bunch of families got together and decided to share spouses and kids out of fear that another group of families would get them. It didn't make any sense.

Suetonius seems to sense this because he chuckles and states, "Quite confusing, yes? We will see the ramifications of this down the road. For sitting through this tedious presentation, I will present something that I hope for you all to find entertaining. This was dated from March 7, 2105 CE."

The map is replaced by a video.

* * *

The title screen of the show playing reads as "The Weekly Yellow Journal". Besides the strange name, the guady opening is similar to that of the news broadcasts that come out of the Capital. Though the way that it is set up suggests parody.

A spectacled woman, probably in her thirties, sits behind a large desk. Behind the cameras, there seems to be a cheering audience, suddenly making this more reminiscent of one of Caesar Flickerman's shows.

"Welcome to the Weekly Yellow Journal, I'm Jen Moore. Our special guest this evening will be Dr. Simon Fitzgerald, head of the Yellowstone Initiative and author of the book  _Prepping for the Next Chicxulub or Toba._  But first, some of our top headlines.

"Last week was a big one in Istanbul, where the leaders of the EU, AEE, and USCA, formalized the merger of the three already big unions into this massive behemoth of a union, which takes up almost all of mainland Europe and half of Asia." Jen speaks while, footage is shown of three guys in suits doing a triple handshake and smiling at the cameras.

"Russian president Sergei Trepov had this to say:"

Another vid is shown of a man, who I'm assuming is Trepov, speaking in a foreign language. Subtitles read at the bottom, "It is fine to see these three power blocs coming together in mutual respect and friendship. I expect great things to come out of the formation of the Eurasian Union."

Jen is in the process of smiling and nodding to the statement, until the end, at which she freezes in mind-nod. Titters flow from the audience.

"Eurasian, huh? That's, *ahem*, an interesting choice of words. Well, it does straddle both Europe and Asia, so nothing to get worked up over. It's not like called it the USSR; now that would have been awkward.

"In any case, people are saying that this union formed specifically in response the ACU officially getting together with the Pacific Rim Coalition, ASEAN, and Pacific Alliance last month to form… um… to form… the… Trans-Oceanic Union. Heh…" Jen tugs at her collar a bit.

"Okay, there's a 'trans' in that statement, which makes all the difference, I guess. Well let's see what our fine friends from across the Pacific have to say about this."

A clip from another broadcast is played, with a different person speaking. "Chairman Wu Zi'ang has stated that the formation of the Trans-Oceanic Union and the Eurasian Union was simple bluster. He adamantly stated the Mandate is the true representative of East Asia—"

"That's it, I quit!" Jen snaps while throwing her hands up. "This stuff apparently * _bleep_ *ing writes itself, so there's no need for me anymore." She then rolls her chair out of sight. After a couple seconds, she rolls back into view.

"Just kidding. I'm not going to quit. I love you guys too much. Also the pay's good.

"Still one can't help at wonder if these guys are trying to be ironic, or they are simply that clueless and haven't read a book in their entire lives." She shakes her head in mock sadness.

"On a lighter note, engineers have announced that the first fully-functional prototype for the much-anticipated hover transportation technology is slated for a public test-run within a month. You know what that means."

Suddenly a clip is shown from what I assume is an old movie, due to the quality of the image. It shows a guy in a ridiculously gaudy outfit hopping on what looks to be a hovering skateboard.

"Hoverboards bitches!" She crows excitedly, "This is going to be so double plus good. They may be about a century later than predicted, but all good things to those who wait.

"Speaking of waiting, we'll be back after the break."

* * *

As the video ends, Suetonius is already packing his stuff up. "Remember, there is test next week. And if any one of you are curious about Moore's references when she talked about the formation of the Eurasian Union and the Trans-Oceanic Union, I took the liberty of assigning an old novel, which was written back in the mid-20th century, as reading material. I trust you all to find it interesting and relevant concerning Panem's recent history. Class dismissed."

As we are preparing to leave, I hear Dio chirp, "Hey Ned, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

I turn to see him looking at me with this eager grin on his face. I know exactly what he is thinking, and it pains me to shake him off that notion.

"No. Three does not make hoverboards, and there's no way in hell you can get me to try creating one."

"Aww…"

_Though, yes,_ _they would indeed be pretty awesome to have._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope all of you are able to recognize what mid-20th century novel is being referenced. ^_^
> 
> And who wouldn't want a hoverboard? The commies, that's who. Also terrorists. And commie terrorists.


	4. Preparations

"Why, I didn't know you felt that way about me."

I can't help but quip that after an especially rough pat-down.

Chuckles answers with a glare that clearly states,  _"Eat shit and die."_

I can't imagine why he's so pissed-off at me; I'm only late by about 5 minutes this time, and my charm's in tip-top shape.

When I walk into the lecture hall, I see that Suetonius hasn't started the lecture but looks to still be busy prepping for the class. That doesn't stop him from, without looking from his tablet, dryly remarking, "Ah, Edwen. Nice to see that you found the time to join us."

"Wouldn't miss it for all of Panem, Sue," I chirp, which causes the professor to clench his jaw several times.  _Yep, tip-top shape._

As I take my seat, Dio gives me a wide-eyed look that screams,  _"Are you out of your mind?"_

"What?" I look at him with what I perceive to be an expression of cheerful ignorant innocence.

After a pause, he simply mutters, "Nothing," and goes back to brooding. Apparently, the concept of a one-night stand was something foreign to him. He thought that his date would become some romantic relationship, and the reality of the situation undid a good chunk of the progress we made two weeks ago. It probably wouldn't be so bad had the damn trollop been upfront and not knowingly taken advantage of his ignorance.

Thinking of a way to cheer him up, I reach inside my pack, pull out a small paper bag, and place it on his desk. "Here, have a cookie."

He looks at the bag for a bit before grabbing one shaped and frosted into a floral form. His disposition seems to brighten considerably as he bites into it. "It's good." Another bite. "It's  _really_  good! Where'd they come from?"

"Twelve, apparently."

The implication of my statement makes him slightly choke on his snack and sputter out, "You mean that these were made by Peeta Mellark? How'd you get them?"

Words come casually tumbling out before I can stop them. "Oh, Paylor let me take some with me after the discussion we had this morning."

His eyes widen further. "You talked to the President today?"

 _Crap, I've said too much already. Quick, damage control!_  "Don't see why you're acting so surprised. Remember that she's practically responsible for all twenty-six of us. Not to mention that she talked to you couple weeks ago."

"Yeah, but not on a one-on-one manner, and a one-on-one manner seems to be the only way you would be able to get the cookies."

 _Damn that perceptiveness of yours._  "Okay, I was summoned to the mansion to chat with her. That's why I was late today."

"So what did you two talk about?"

 _Great, now you're interested. Not going to drop this, are you?_  "Oh, not much. My time spent here, stuff happening around the country, Mellark cookies…"

_Oh yeah, and the fact that you weren't just trained to be a run-of-the mill Career or Peacekeeper. Instead, due to your impressive physical and mental capabilities, the powers-that-be wanted to turn you into a brutally efficient killing machine. And they may have succeeded if it weren't for the fact that you lacked the killer instinct, something which they tried to fix. Did I mention that all of this, plus your absurdly-abusive childhood, may have knocked some screws loose in that already insecure head of yours?_

"So school, current events, and cookies. Anything else?" His tone isn't accusatory, but merely curious.

I guess I could tell him the truth and simply omit the more… controversial aspects.

"Mutts."

"Mutts?"

"Yep. Mutts."  _Especially six-foot-plus amber-eyed ones that are physically capable of chucking me across a room, yet barely have enough self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth to fill a thimble._ "She wanted my opinion on the matter pf several facilities and relevant policies."

"Oh yeah, we also talked about my roommate."

"You did?" An anxious look crosses his face.

"Don't worry. She was just saying that it was nice that two guys from such distinct districts are getting along."  _Also how I was picked to be your roommate due to being the one guy who could probably survive and subdue a potential crazy-induced rampage of yours without it resulting in your death._

"Oh, okay then. That's nice of her. And thanks for the cookies." And just like that, Dio goes back to eating.

 _Whew, dodged a bullet there._ The last thing I need is to give him another reason to be a walking bag of angst and self-loathing.

I just pissed-off the head of security — okay, pissed him off more than usual — and insulted our egotistical professor to his face and in front of the whole class. However, with the info I that was just given earlier, at this moment neither situation currently scares me more than the kind-hearted, eager-to-please guy sitting next to me and happily munching on a cookie.

Thing is, there is still no other person I would rather have as a frien—roommate.  _Roommate!_

I turn my attention back to the front to see Suetonius already a good way into his lecture.

"… At the ground level, people were aware of the rising tensions between nations and unions. Of course, each had their own way of dealing with it, with varying degrees of effectiveness. We will be looking at three sets of footage. The first is from Chicago, Illinois on June 20, 2106. The person we are about view was known as Reverend Patrick Thomas."

* * *

A young, dark-skinned man in a robe stands on a podium. He faces, and speaks in an impassioned tone, towards a crowd of people seated in rows.

"When the Israelis opened the Temple Mount to the Jews several decades ago, they unknowingly constructed the Third Temple. For a wise man sees that the Temple is not a structure of stone, brick, or mortar; rather, it is a structure of the soul. And with this action, they set important events into motion.

"For, indeed, the hour of the Revelation is upon us. And behold, the White Horse has already shown himself. 'But Reverend,' you may say, 'there has been no major pandemic lately.'

"Ah, but the misconception is that the White Horse is Pestilence. Rather, he is Conquest. Conquest without conflict. For when these nations grouped into their unions, they submitted themselves to another power.

"'But Reverend', you may ask, 'isn't that supposed to be a good thing? We now have peace in our time.'

"Remember though, what comes after the White Horse? The Red. So when these nations have finished joining in their unholy unions, those unions shall turn on each other. The Red Horse shall trumpet the glory of War. The Black shall follow with the promise of starvation. Finally, it is the Pale Horse's turn. And we all know what he brings."

As he continues, he becomes more fervent, almost borderline hysterical, in his speech.

"And I say, 'IT IS ABOUT TIME!' For this nation has become the Whore of Babylon, drunk upon filth and meaningless platitudes! For too long, we have suffered the fools, the sodomites, the painted harlots! We have suffered the union of this nation with those of the pagans and allied ourselves with the Muhammadeans. We have suffered the existence of these liars who purport to follow Christ but mingle with the unholy. So let Him come down in his shining raiment, and cleanse this world through fire!"

The audience erupts with cheers as the guy continues his rant.

* * *

I frankly have no clue as to the meaning of most of his statements.

"Caesar Flickerman, eat your heart out," Dio whispers, which requires me to stifle a chuckle.

The professor continues on. "The next set of footage is not from any specific date, but rather a collection of different footage from around this time period."

What's shown is probably the most mind-numbing series of footage we have seen to date. It's simply a collection of a varied bunch of people explaining how they are going to survive the collapse of civilization. Some are paranoid whackos armed to the teeth and living in self-made bunkers. Others are poorly-groomed and delusional nutjobs spouting nonsense on they were one with nature and that the forest would care for them. One couple claims that just because they grew a couple vegetables on their urban rooftop, they were completely self-sufficient. Another morbidly obese couple is extolling the virtues of their stockpile of packaged food.

I think all of us have just become dumber just from watching this.

Suetonius has a smirk on his face. "Intellectually stimulating, yes? This last segment is from May 12, 2108."

I pray that this is a tad more intelligent than what we just saw.

* * *

To my relief, I can see that what is playing is the  _Weekly Yellow Journal_  again. However, this segment seems to be playing later on in the program instead at the very beginning. Instead of the usual seat-and-desk format, Jen is sitting in what almost looks like a living room with two plush chairs and a coffee table between the chairs; however, you can tell that it is part of a stage from the cheers for the audience. Jen is in one of the chairs and, across from her, is an elderly man.

"Welcome back folks. Joining us this evening is multi-billionaire Dr. Carl Vega. He was the former CEO of Vega Technologies. Currently though, what he is most famous for is the founding of the Society for the Preservation of Civilization. Dr. Vega, glad for you to join us today."

"Glad to be here Jen." For a guy of advanced age, he seems to have considerable strength in his voice. "I have to say that my grandson Samuel loves watching your show."

"I'm flattered. What about you?"

"I don't care much for it. Actually I haven't been much for television in the first place. So try not to take it personally."

Jen makes a gesture of mock hurt. "That cuts real deep. Anyways, enough about my show; I shamelessly plug it every week as it is. Let's talk about this Society of yours."

"I'd be happy to. What would you like to know?"

"We could start by asking about what prompted you to create the Society. From what I recall, it was founded back in 2059."

"Indeed, I had the idea for quite a while. The concept of the Society was formalized right after the announcement of the desire to create the Federation. As for why, let's just say our future is uncertain enough that it's good to have precautions."

"Well, after the founding the Society, it is clear that you made connections with a diverse group of people and organizations."

"Well, for something like this happen, it's obvious that we would want to have as much help as possible. Besides monetary and infrastructural support, I've made agreements with museums, libraries, schools, corporations, botanical gardens, and zoos. So the idea is to preserve all forms of knowledge: artistic, scientific, and historical. On top of that, we also serve as a backup server for Wikipedia, as well as various journal libraries such as JSTOR and Science. You could say that this is the most ambitious time capsule to date.

"And of course the important thing would be to talk to the UN and make our intentions clear. The idea of some NGO creating a bunch of underground facilities is something that may ring a lot of alarm bells among the more paranoid nations."

"It has already been common knowledge about the main facility. Can you explain the concept of the other facilities and sectors?"

"So as not to put all our eggs in one basket and to cover ground easily, besides the headquarters, we had the idea of having facilities across the UAF. Each facility would service a certain sector. For obvious reasons, the exact location of each facility will not be divulged. So instead there are offices in major cities that represent the facilities. Most offices are within a 300 kilometer radius of the respective facilities, barring some larger sectors."

"That's nice and all. One thing I noticed is that all of the sectors seem to be isolated in the continental UAF. Don't you think it is a little unfair towards the island states such as Hawaii and Puerto Rico, or the rest of the Trans-Oceanic Union (It's still a stupid name by the way.)?"

That last bit garners a slight chuckle from Dr. Vega. "Yeah, some politicians haven't been reading their Orwell. In regards to your query, that has crossed our minds. However, in the event of a catastrophe, it would be logistically difficult to maintain contact with islands. We would probably be able to maintain communications with them, but transportation in a post-collapse environment would be arduous. So there are pragmatic reasons behind this.

"Bear in mind that the facilities I presented are not the only ones around. There are facilities in all of the island states. However, they are funded and constructed from other sources, with the Society merely serving in an advisory role. The same goes for facilities being currently constructed in all the nations throughout the TOU. We also have sister organizations in all of the neutral nations, with considerable dialogue occurring between us.

"And to nip the question in the bud, we chose not to put any facilities in the Northeastern Seaboard or California due to the increased risk of attack in those locations. In the latter's case, there is also the increased seismic risk."

"Looking at the manifestos for this, there are really not that many people that would be going into the facilities. Are there worries that the amount of people won't be enough to repopulate the area?"

Dr. Vega shakes his head. "Not all. Our goal is not to safeguard humanity, which seems to be a common misconception. Most of us are confident that even in the case of an extreme catastrophe, there will be survivors. If the catastrophe is extreme enough to wipe out all human life, I seriously doubt that a series of underground facilities are going to do any good, assuming they survive the cataclysm.

"Our goal instead is to safeguard civilization. Even though humanity will survive, it will most likely be fragmented. Most nation-states would collapse in the process. Science, the arts, and civil structure will fall by the wayside in the face of the basic need to survive. Life expectancy would decrease due to the lack of basic healthcare and organized agriculture. The most common form of government seen would be a feudalistic society. In short it would be chaos. Our purpose, when the time is right, is to help the people living in the area to jump-start society."

Jen asks hopefully, "So, what can I do to get a spot on there?"

"No offense, but you are not the type of person we are looking for. While works of art are timeless, artists and entertainers themselves are ephemeral. As long as you protect the template, you can always have new artists spring up. Instead, the type of people we are looking for are people such as scientists, engineers, military leaders, and academics of law and history. These are the type of vocations needed to rebuild civilization.

"The other bulk of people are the workers and security. They would keep the facilities running and would also serve as the next generation to be trained by the academics. These facilities would be made to function for at least two centuries in isolation, so it is important that we keep information passed down.

"It also bears mentioning that anybody applying for the worker or security position has to be between the ages of 18 and 30. They would also go through extensive screening to make sure that they have no genetic disorders such as Huntington's."

"Damn, I was hoping for a spot."

"Don't feel too bad. Most of the people funding this project do not have a space reserved, and they know full well of that. Even I myself do not have a spot reserved nor does my daughter; rather it is Samuel, the current one in charge of the majority of organization within the Society, who would likely be guaranteed a spot. The thing is: all of us consider the Society important enough that it doesn't matter that we may not be saved in the event of disaster. What matters is that there is something that our descendants can cling onto in the chance of disaster."

"I don't doubt that. You may actually be expecting a contribution from me soon."

"That would be most appreciated."

"Lastly, I find your motto quite interesting. Can you tell me what it means?"

"Ah yes, ' _Panis pro Cras_ '. It's Latin and translates to 'Bread for Tomorrow'. Bread is one form of food that is almost ubiquitous to the majority of cultures around the world. In several languages, it in itself represents food as a whole. It is something that can provide sustenance in direst of times.

"It is my hope that the Society, in the event of the need to restart civilization, can be seen as a giver of bread, with the bread representing the sustenance needed to give humanity the energy to get back on its feet."

"Well, thanks for being here, and I wish your organization the best of luck on its endeavors. Though, if you don't mind me saying, I sincerely hope that you guys will never have to go into action."

"It was my pleasure talking to you Jen, and in the end, your hope is my hope as well."

"Ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Carl Vega, founder of the Society for the Preservation of Civilization. We'll be back after these messages."

* * *

Unlike the other footage, there is no snarking to accompany it. No rolled eyes. There's something about this that sounded all too familiar, but I can't put my finger on it. There's simply this nagging feeling.

"As was mentioned, the Society did not want to directly divulge the location of the facilities scattered throughout the county. If you look at your tablet, you will see a list of the sectors and representative offices. Since we now know the location of the facilities, I will put up a map showing their locations, especially in relation to their offices."

On my tablet, the list read as such:

Sector 0 (Headquarters): Jasper, AB

Sector 1: Spokane, WA

Sector 2: Colorado City, CO

Sector 3: Kansas City, MO

Sector 4: Nanaimo, BC

Sector 5: Phoenix, AZ

Sector 6: Detroit, MI

Sector 7: Winnipeg, MB

Sector 8: Greensboro, NC

Sector 9: Cedar Rapids. IA

Sector 10: Lubbock, TX

Sector 11: Atlanta, GA

Sector 12: Charleston, WV

Sector 13: Saguenay, QC

A map appears with each of the offices represented by blue dots and the actual facilities by red dots. Each dot is labeled to show which sector it belonged to.

Looking at the map, I notice two really important details that are too convenient to be coincidental. Those details explain away that nagging feeling.

First off, the red dots correspond almost exactly with the locations of the headquarters in Panem's districts and the Capitol. Secondly, the numbering of the sectors…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to write-out an entire thing on the survivalist show, with quotes and everything, but my brain won out.


	5. Pressures

"I have yet to have all of your tests graded. Though so far, some of the answers I have looked have been… interesting." I can tell Suetonius is trying hard to hold back a diatribe.  _That bad, huh?_

"But enough about that. The subject of today's class period is about demographic pressures around the world and how nations dealt with it."

Like before, a map is projected onto the screen to help him give visual aids to his presentation.

"From the beginning of the 21st century to the beginning to the 22nd century, average global temperatures had risen by four degrees Celsius, or a little over seven degrees Fahrenheit. Much of the scientific community decided to have been a combination of natural cycles and human activity through the release of greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide and methane.

"By the 22nd century, most industrialized nations had cut their emissions to neutral levels due to weaning themselves off of fossil fuels such as petroleum and coal. However, in the rest of the world, notably areas with the bulk of the global population, emission levels went up as they tried to rapidly industrialize.

"This was especially seen in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and the Mandate. On top of this, the burning and clearing of forests in the tropics for development not only release a large amount of greenhouse a gasses, but also removed a significant sink for them. It did not help that the industrialized nations, which weaned themselves off of fossil fuels yet had reserves of them, were willing to sell the fuel to make a profit. Granted, the advantage of this profitable action was that nations, such as the UAF, were not only able to maintain their prosperity but were also able to help support nations in their respective unions.

"Of course, the reasoning behind global warming was controversial. The developing nations in particular accused the industrialized nations of using such rationale as a way of purposefully holding them back. In any case, and for whatever the reason, what is clear is that the rise in global temperature had some far-reaching effects.

"The majority of the time, the global increase in temperature meant that summers were hotter and longer, while winters were milder. This resulted in increasing cases of long-term droughts as well as lowered river flow due to lack of significant snowmelt, which impact many formerly productive agricultural areas. This would also impact the availability of potable water to drink. On the flip side, other areas received larger amounts of flooding, which displaced millions of people overall. Also, in some places, such as Europe, the winters actually became more severe. In general, the relatively rapid increase in temperature made weather patterns more erratic and extreme.

"Increase in overall climate also caused the northward migration of many species. In some cases, this helped bring back certain types of tropical diseases into areas that they were formerly eradicated from. Malaria was one such example. If I am correct, there are still cases of that disease in a couple districts, yes?"

He pauses to glance pointedly at the two students from Eleven, who just nod in response. He then continues on with his lecture.

"Though probably the most obvious impact of rising temperatures was the one-meter sea level rise, which was caused by the melting of ice in places such as Greenland and Antarctica. Now one meter may not seem like much, but bear in mind that many communities are right at sea level. Some managed to be flooded initially, which other became more vulnerable to tropical storm systems, such as hurricanes and typhoons, which became more frequent and powerful on average due to an increase in oceanic temperatures. In some cases, entire island nations were lost to the heightened sea level.

"While it still hurt, most developed nations were able to mitigate these impacts in various, albeit costly, ways. Barriers were built or cities adapted to cope with the sea level. Nations with little water utilized techniques such as desalination and water recycling. In some cases, nations actually benefited from the temperature rise, especially in the north, with the release of arable soil and opening of the Arctic for shipping. Incidentally, the opening of the soil in the north helped accelerate the temperature rise due to the release of methane.

"However, many of the developing nations, especially in the tropics, were less able to cope with this change. And when an area tends to lack arable land for food, potable water for drinking, clean aquatic areas for fishing, and areas for people to live in, social order tends to break down. In many cases, infant mortality would go back up past 50%. From there, you would many times get the mentality of giving birth more frequently out of the rationale that at least half of those kids would survive to their teens. Naturally, this begets a nasty self-feeding cycle that causes a spike in population and increased burden on the area, the results of which are not pretty.

"What I am about to show you are areas that have been severely affected at the time."

* * *

A photo and video montage begins by showing areas where the elements, both natural and manmade, have wreaked havoc. Dried-up land pops up frequently, sometimes with the occasional dead and desiccated animal in the foreground, as do flooded areas, with buildings being swept away by torrents. Also shown are haphazard development, a lot of times with garbage strewn around, as well as waterways choked with stuff I don't even desire comprehending.

From there is progresses to images of people. I mean, I guess one could call them people the same way that one could call a slab of bacon a pig. They're not so much people as they are barely-living skeletons with weathered skin that hangs loosely upon their meatless frames, bellies bloated from malnutrition, scleræ yellowed from liver failure, skull-like heads that look almost comically oversized on their thin bodies, and, in many cases, a distinct lack of clothing. Many are too feeble or hopeless to even bother waving off the flies and various forms of vermin that mobbed them. Those who aren't completely weakened, are shown to have regressed into some kind of feral state, though it is clear that they aren't going to last that much longer either.

I guess "walking dead" would be a more appropriate term, even though many looked too weak to even sit up without support. That's ignoring the ones that are dead-dead. Oh yeah, and most of images shown are of kids, many of them not even into their double-digits in age from what it looks like.

On top of that, many are in the throes of various ailments, be it from a virus, bacterial infection, eukaryotic parasite, or chemical contamination. One person's clammy and delirious from what looks to be diarrhea-induced dehydration; probably either from cholera or amoebic dysentery. Another, begging on a street corner, has limbs extensively disfigured from nematodes. A little girl is desperately shielding the open sores, that are covering her body, with a shawl to prevent them from getting in contact with the dusty ground, and a couple guys in a junkyard look to be suffering from cadmium poisoning. That's just scratching the surface. There's worse stuff shown, much worse.

The notable thing is that many of the dead and dying are in full public view. Some are on sidewalks, walkways, and steps, desperately begging for scraps and change. Others are huddled in alleyways and doorframes. And some simply lay in the street or in the gutters. Of course, the rest of the people pointedly pay no heed to them, walking past, around, or even over the bodies.

* * *

I actually spend a good chunk of the time observing the class as I do watching the footage. It's fairly interesting to see the reactions. Quite a few of the students look extremely distressed, especially those from the former Career districts, the Capitol, and Thirteen. Even some from the "regular" districts, like Five, Seven, and Nine, are looking more than fair bit uncomfortable. Some folks even seem to be on the verge of tears, and Dio's looking like he's about ready to throw up.

However, the rest of us just stare impassively what we're shown. For us in Six, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, Three… stuff like that aren't just images on a screen. It's a fact of life growing up, even to this day. The metal poisoning is especially something that any person from Three could recognize. Okay, maybe not all the diseases shown are commonplace in the districts, but after seeing the hundredth dead body in a month, they all start looking the same. A day in West City just isn't complete without passing an alley, or two (or three), full of dead, dying, and desperate Mutt Food. From what I've heard, it's even worse in the crowded cities of Six, where there is nothing to dispose of the bodies, which results in frequent outbreaks of disease epidemics; it's little wonder that a lot of their inhabitants turn to morphling.

And the kicker? It's not the sick and starving that we in the districts relate to. The people we probably relate with the most with are those briskly walking past the bodies as if they never existed. Because, seriously, what can one do? The majority of people in the footage who were shown walking past likely had starving families of their own to feed. It's the same in the districts. As for those of us who are actually fairly affluent and relatively well-off, what is expected of us? If you feed one, you'll have to feed them all, and you'll probably have to feed them for the rest of their lives. And finding a job is already a competitive endeavor for those who do meet the qualifications. I'm sure there are some of those who are able and willing to tackle the problem, but I'm not one of them.

This is the brutal fact of life that not even the Rebellion has changed, at least not initially. Maybe things will get better. Who knows? It would be nice to walk at ground level in Three's cities without having to fend-off a group of Mutt Food.

Suetonius turns back to us grimly. "Suffice to say, conditions like what were shown were rampant throughout much of the world. There were even spots in the well-off nations that were like this. Of course, many had tried to escape those conditions for greener pastures. And burdened nations were all the more willing to let people go as it meant that there were less mouths to feed. Naturally, this would cause tensions, and most nations had ways of dealing with this issue.

"Here is one such response from UAF Chief-Commander Bethany Chen, dated July 30, 2111. From there you will see policies from other nations."

* * *

The seal of the UAF flashes on the screen before a middle-aged woman takes the podium. She has a look of extreme weariness but speaks in a firm voice.

"My fellow Americans: historically, both the United States and Canada have been nations of immigrants. That these countries have combined to form the UAF doesn't change that fact. The only people here who can't trace their lineage to immigrants are the Indigenous peoples, and even they migrated to this continent a long time ago. Immigrants have come to our shores in search of new opportunities and have helped fill jobs in all levels. Each wave of immigration has also brought new traditions and cultures that have helped keep our national culture ever dynamic and fresh. I myself am the proud daughter of a couple who fled Hong Kong during the Reunification Revolution of 2057.

"With the issues that have been plaguing the world, it is clear that the UAF is seen as a beacon of great hope to those desiring a better life. It is thus unsurprising that many would desire to come here to start anew. And normally, we would be happy to warmly receive the huddled masses with open arms.

"However, we are faced with a bitter reality. Due to circumstances out of our control, this great nation is not immune to the pressures that have been set upon it. Be it from our current unemployment index to basic infrastructure, it is clear that we are unable to take in more people without there being a considerable strain on our economy and standard of living.

"That's why it is with a heavy heart that I am singing into action the Immigration and Nationality Act of 2111. Effective by November 1st, immigration from all nations not part of the Trans-Oceanic Union will be henceforth closed. For those coming from TOU member or allied nations, immigration will be restricted to an annual quota of 175,000 individuals. Any illegal alien residing in this nation, and lacking qualifications for a special dispensation, will be summarily detained. Furthermore, upon implementation of the law, there will be a policy to shoot, on sight, any person who attempts to cross into this country illegally.

"This will not affect temporary diplomat, student, journalist, or special circumstance visas. Nor will it affect tourism. However, visas will be more stringently regulated, with harsher penalties for violating their terms.

"This law will also work in conjunction with the ACU's Immigration Treaty, which will be in effect in the spring of 2112.

"It is my hope that things get better so that we can help bring back the principle that made this nation great. Until then though, we will do whatever it takes to keep it safe.

"Thank you for your time, and God bless America."

* * *

Policies are then shown from other nations and unions. The languages may all be different, but if the subtitles are to be believed, there seems to be one constant phrase uttered on the subject of dealing with those who try to illegally get in:

Shoot on sight.

While under Snow's rule, the Peacekeepers seemed to desperately try to keep everybody in their respective districts, these nations were desperately trying to keep people out. The irony is hilarious.

"As you can see, immigration ground to a halt throughout the world. Though unsurprisingly, if one was wealthy or tactically important enough, the authorities were always willing to look the other way. Of course, nations accused others of being isolationist.

"Also many nations ended up reinforcing their borders to keep undesirables out. Even neutral nations, which had a policy of open movement but usually had already closed immigration for some time, began extensively fortifying their boundaries. In fact, one of the best examples of extensive fortification was the system of mountain emplacements surrounding the Alpine Confederation, not to mention the fortifications in existence for some time around the State of Israel. This would lead to accusations of border militarization, even though, again, everybody was doing it.

"Now you may think Immigration and Nationality Act was harsh enough that it would be opposed by the people. However, by this time, the conditions around meant that there was a lot of public animosity against people who they perceived as adding an unneeded burden upon their nation. So a strong nativist mentality gripped the UAF, and many organizations sprung up which made their voice heard on the subject. Interestingly, unlike nativist groups in previous centuries, which tended to be ethnically homogenous, the organizations that popped-up tended to actually have very diverse memberships. In fact, many included a lot of first-and-second-generation immigrants.

"In some cases, there were active vigilante actions stirred up by these organizations to root out illegals.

"Here is one such example in San Francisco during the summer of 2112. This organization was called the Guardian Front for America."

Before the video starts, I quickly look up the city, which was a large port city located in what is now the Western Wilderness. Besides being an economic hub, it was apparently known for being a bastion of tolerance and activism.

* * *

There is a crowd gathered in front of an ornate gateway not too dissimilar from Two architecture except for being adorned with strange writing. Right now, a giant red banner hangs from the structure, and on it is a stylized image of the UAF with a shield superimposed over it. Surrounding that is a halo of marks; looking closer shows that they are swords.

In front of the gate, a masked man is addressing the crowd with a large speakerphone. There are other people around him; all are wearing marks and all are heavily-armed.

"No doubt that this nation was built upon immigration. Look at the diverse make-up of this group. But what has once been a cherished institution has now become a perversion. A sickness if you will. While our unemployment levels are in obscene numbers, illegals are still being employed over hard-working citizens. We have our scarce resources being taken up by non-tax-paying freeloaders. And then there are the gangs…

"The government can institute all the laws it wants. But it is clear that enforcement is incomplete. And there is always the chance of corruption in the ranks above to allow the foreign hordes through our borders. It is because of this that the common people have to take it upon themselves to root out the sickness."

The crowd seems to be whipped-up into an angry frenzy. The spokesperson, who I assume is the organisation's leader, turns to address the neighborhood behind him.

"Remember, we have nothing against those of you who came by legal means. The GFA does not discriminate upon faith or skin color. And in your hearts you know that these illegals are not only latching onto you like the leeches they are; they are unrepentantly giving you all a bad name. You have a choice. You can give us what we desire and show that you are Americans first and foremost, willing to look past some abstract heritage to embrace and protect a common identity. Otherwise, you can cast yourselves willingly as those who helped undermine the foundations of this nation; as traitors. Either way, we will do what is necessary."

Some time passes, and I wonder what is going to happen. Then suddenly I hear panicked voices of protest. As the camera focus on the neighborhood, I can see people cast out into the street. They range from single young adults to entire families, all of which I assume are illegal immigrants. From illegals' subsequent desperate reactions when they tugged at and banged on various doors, it is clear that the people who cast them out, as well as neighbors, had proceeded to lock-down their buildings. Finally they give up and look fearfully at the armed group.

"Thank you for making the wise choice. We shall forever count this community as a friend to the GFA and as loyal Americans."

He nods to his associates, who then proceed to walk towards the illegals, before turning back to the crowd.

"Sometimes, there needs to be people willing to get their hands dirty for the greater good, no matter the cost."

* * *

The video cuts off before we could see the outcome. Sighs of relief emanate from the class.

_If that was occurring in this so-called "bastion of tolerance", I wonder what the rest of the nation was like._

"Why didn't anybody stop them?" cries out Dio, breaking his don't-interact-with-the-scary-professor rule. Looking at his pale and drawn face, I can tell that what he just saw shook him to the core, probably even more than the footage of the walking dead.

"The official reason was that law enforcement was stretched thin at the time. The honest reason, that nobody would care to admit in public, was that organizations like the GFA had a whole lot of sympathy among the populace. In other words, the law looked the other way. Of course, people would denounce them in public as barbaric, but in the end, they all agreed to the principles. This complicity would help such organizations become more powerful as time passed. Bear in mind that such groups were common all over the world around this time period. There were also organizations which advocated for the immigrants; they were just as ruthless.

"Back to the subject at hand. The last thing I would like to talk about is how countries officially dealt with the illegals they found. Originally, deportation back to the original country would be the main course of action undertaken. However, these countries didn't want their emigrants back any more than the immigrated-to country wanted them in. Of course, in most of the developed world, rounding-up the illegals and massacring them was out of the question.

"So the solution was to have 'refugee camps' in isolated locations undesirable to other forms of development. In the case of the UAF, there was Camp Sonora, Camp Keystone, Camp Jasper, and Camp Orleans. These camps became practical self-sustaining cities that had populations numbering in the thousands. With Camp Orleans, the original site was actually a city called New Orleans, which became abandoned when sea level rise made it impractical to sustain and a hurricane dealt the final blow. Later on, the camps would serve the additional function of taking in criminals who would normally be serving life-sentences.

"This policy was condemned by the international community, but—"

"—Lemme guess," I interject, "everyone was doing it."

Suetonius actually smiles at that. "Correct. In many cases the policies enacted in some countries made the refugee camps seem quite tame.

"This will be the last video for the day. It was filmed by an activist who let himself get caught so he could to showcase how the Eurasian Union tended to treat illegal refugees. In some points, the video will skip along to show the more important parts."

* * *

The aforementioned activist is currently seated amongst a crowd of people who I assume are refugees, ranging from families with toddlers to elderly couples. It is clear that, from the weird angles of the footage, he's attempting to keep the camera hidden. He's in what looks to be some kind of compound, with a tall fence, guard towers, and razor wire encircling the perimeter. Armed guards and armored vehicles move about the area, while buses come and go to drop off more people. Several guys decide to make a break for it. Most are initially gunned-down on the spot, but one makes it to the fence where he is immediately electrocuted.

Soon everybody starts being loaded into a train, which appears to be reinforced with grated metal paneling, probably so as to prevent people from escaping. As the refugees line into the train cars, guards go around checking to see if people have any contraband. The activist proceeds to hide his camera. The footage then skips to the part of them disembarking the train car, which states the obvious as to whether he made it past security.

They seem to be in some kind of port. Everybody gets loaded into a large, almost derelict-looking, ship. Once the ship is full, it takes off. From there, it is just a collection of stuff happening on the ship: people huddled together against the cold, kids playing games, some folks gambling, real random stuff… One thing that is commented on is the distinct lack of guards on the ship, likely because the there is really nowhere anybody can escape to.

Suddenly a muffled explosion is heard, which causes a couple cries of surprise to break out. Before anybody could figure out what was happening, the ship begins rapidly listing to the side. Cries of fear and distress go up from those onboard as the ship capsizes. The activist, who by now seems to standing on a wall, manages to hold onto his camera during the good duration of ship's turning over, filming people desperately clinging onto any object they could grab a hold of or attempting to tread water. Finally though, a shudder from the ship causes him to lose his grip, and the camera falls into the sea, where it shorts-out and the footage ends.

* * *

"The recording technology of the time," Suetonius says, "meant that even if the camera itself was lost, footage was broadcasted to a remote server, which was still intact.

"From what can be gleamed, all of this took place in Russia. The train station was near Novosibirsk, the port was in the federal subject of Khabarovsk Krai, and the shipwreck itself occurred in the Sea of Okhotsk. Needless to say, there were no survivors. The official stance from the Eurasian Union was that there was a refugee camp being built in Sakhalin Island, and that the ship unluckily hit a mine."

The look on all our faces shows just how much we believe that claptrap.

Suetonius picks up on that. "Nobody else believed it at the time either. It did not help that the ship was already slated for decommissioning. However, besides some noise made, nobody really did anything. And later on, the same tragic 'accident' would occur again. And again. And so on. In many cases, the ships conveniently had political dissidents onboard as well."

A long period of silence seems to pass after he got done speaking.

Then our professor simply claps his hands together and says, "Well, that is all I have for today. Class dismissed."

I can't help but mutter, "That was abrupt."

However, from the looks of it, everybody's simply glad for this period to be over with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suffice to say, this chapter was fairly unpleasant to write. And unfortunately, I didn't have to utilize my imagination for a good chunk of it, especially the section dealing with the sick.
> 
> "Mutt Food" is a District Three euphemism for the destitute. It's probably most analogous to "Seam Trash", though even the Seam analogues in Three would also use the term. It kinda… speaks for itself.


	6. Islands

"The Society for the Preservation of Civilization issued a PROCON 1 alert today. What is known is that all personnel that have signed-up with the Society have a week to go to their respective offices for the purpose of moving into their assigned facilities. After that week has passed, the facilities will effectively be locked-down, with minimal interaction towards the outside.

"Other than people, important items from various places around the nation will be taken into said facilities. These contributors range from well-known names as the the Library of Congress, National Archives, Field Museum and Smithsonian Institution, to lesser known institutions as the Linda Hall Library and Mütter Museum. Almost every library, archive, and museum in every major city is contributing something to either their respective sectoral facilities or the main facility in Sector Zero.

"The Society isn't the only organization going into lockdown. After the formation of the American-Commonwealth Union, progenitor to the Trans-Oceanic Union, several decades ago, the Society helped create similar facilities throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as in the island states of the US. In the UK, the Royal Family has been one of the largest backers for the venture, with Princess Mary being head of the England branch. With the formation of the TOU, facilities have also been built in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and throughout Southeast Asia. Now, halls of knowledge across the Union, including venerable institutions as the British Museum, sit largely empty.

"Besides the facilities throughout the TOU, sister organizations around the world are also taking action. For example, the Vatican Apostolic Library is now currently closed to the public, and key pieces from Europeans museums, such as the Louvre and Museumsinsel, have been taken to the Alpine Confederation. Some of the nations, such as Israel and Cuba-Hispaniola, have gone so far as issuing no-fly-zone orders.

"It is not just art and history that is going into storage. Vast collections of seeds have been stored since the facilities were built, as well as a wide assortment of genetic samples from various animal species. As an anonymous scientist told FPB, 'We like to think of the facilities as arks, but it would be impractical to keep a large number of live animals. The technology we have ensures that only a genetic sample of the specimen and raw material is needed to create an animal from scratch. No need for a blastocyst or carrier. This is the same technology that allowed us to bring back creatures such as the thylacine, as well as create some of the some of the modified organisms you see today in agriculture.'

"While the facilities themselves will be closed, the offices representing them will still be operational to maintain a connection to the outside world. This includes information-gathering for the facilities' archives, as well as limited communication from the facilities.

"In any case, those who are who are still wishing to see the Declaration of Independence or Constitution need not worry. There will still be facsimiles on display.

"David Weitz, FPB News."

* * *

"That was broadcasted in July 1, 2114. So what happened to cause the Society and its sister organizations to go into lockdown? We are going to get into that today."

Suetonius told us today that this is going to be a very short class period.  _Yay…_

Though there's going to be a quiz at the end.  _Boooo…_

Ah well. Though, from the looks of things, the subject matter's finally starting to gear up to become exciting. Dio seems less excited about the prospects, but he never seems to have the stomach for such stuff.

I shake myself out of my thoughts to focus back on the professor.

"As explained in the last class period, areas around the world were hit very hard by the shifting climate. One especially hard-hit area was the Union of Greater America. The UGA had the drawback at this time of being a collection of nations that were still just at the cusp of reaching fully industrialized status. And unlike North America, South America did not have fertile soil towards the polar region which could be unlocked by the rising temperatures. Because of this, there were food shortages, environmental issues, and the threat of uprisings stoked by various paramilitary groups.

"For the leaders of a constituent nations, something had to be done to quell the restless masses, and simply improving the quality of living is a long process. So in general, the easiest solution to ward of national discontent is to give a distraction. It could be through a scapegoat to blame for all the ills, constant entertainment to encourage complacency, or it could be a prize to improve the morale of the populace."

"Like the Hunger Games," mutters Natt caustically. Of course, with him,  _everything_  has to go back to the Hunger Games or Snow. Seriously, that guy won't let anything about the old regime go.

Suetonius, though, seems pleased with the analogy. "Exactly. In any case, Ernesto Fernandez, Brigadier General of the Argentine Air Force and president of Argentina, chose to take the path of obtaining a prize. This would be done by recapturing the Falkland Islands.

"The Falkland Islands are a group of islands near the southern tip of South America. They have, however, been owned by the British since 1833 CE. In 1982, the nation of Argentina decided to invade and capture those islands, resulting in what was known as the Falkland War. It resulted in British victory and lingering resentment between the two nations.

"Well, on April 2, 2114, Argentinian forces invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands and South Georgia again. The British reaction was swift, with, of course, strong condemnation and an ultimatum to withdraw forces by 48 hours. Incidentally, no response came from Argentina. There was a response however from Marshal Lucas Azavado, leader of the UGA."

* * *

To say that Azavodo's uniform was tricked-out would be a severe understatement. The guy probably issued himself medals. I remember some Head Peacekeepers doing the same thing; even a lot of the grunts thought it was ridiculous. However, those Head Peacekeepers got nothing on the flashiness of the guy currently on-screen and at the podium. He is waving around a baton as he speaks, which increases the theatrics of his speech, which are subtitled from the native language.

"The Anglos say that those islands belong to them. Except that this piece of land is over twelve thousand kilometers away from them, and still considered merely a territory. Over the almost three centuries that they have held it, the Anglos don't deem those in the islands worthy enough of being officially part of their own nation; just a little pawn to use for strategic purposes.

"Well, I say that they be returned to their rightful place within the embrace of beautiful Argentina. That is why we fully support President Fernandez in taking this action, and we dare any Anglo vessel to come and violate our sovereign sphere of influence. If they do so, they can be sure that we will take swift action!"

* * *

"It bears mentioning that this speech occurred after the 48 hours had expired.

"Since there was no response from Argentina, the British decided to make a response of their own. A task force, consisting of a convoy of ships, was sent to down to the islands as a way of intimidating the Argentinians. The result is seen in the next footage."

* * *

We are watching the  _Weekly Yellow Journal_  again. Considering that almost two decades have passed since the last segment we saw, it is clear that Jen Moore is starting to show some age. Her previously dark brown hair is significantly grey now and crow's feet adorn her eyes. There is still quite a bit of that fire in her, though she was uncharacteristically subdued. I doubt it was from the age.

"Good evening everybody. Well, excluding the whole 'sneak attack' thing. Might as well get down to the brass tacks and current issue at hand.

"A couple days ago, a British convoy traveling between Ascension Island and the Falklands was ambushed by another fleet. A good chunk of the convoy was battered pretty badly and had to sail instead to Nigeria for repairs. Three ships were lost however: the  _Windsor_ -class carrier  _Prince Harry_  and two  _Adamant_ -class destroyers,  _Defiant_  and  _Fidelity_. So far, 476 survivors have been found, but the majority of people on the ships, including veteran reporter Ethan Douglas, who's also a friend of mine, are still among the missing."

She pauses for a moment before continuing in a slightly bitter tone. "In any case, we now know who initiated the attack from footage obtained before and during the attack. It wasn't the Argentine Navy. It was the Brazilians."

Cries of outrage emanate from the audience, and Jen waits a while until they cool down.

"Yep. Apparently, the UGA isn't too fond of people snooping around their waters, and have decided to enforce that little statement of theirs that they made. Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention: the little speech where Azavado rattled his saber and gave his warning? It occurred within an. Hour. Of. The. Attack.

"Gives plenty of time for the convoy to turn around. NOT!"

She is fuming and takes a while to compose herself. The audience is no less hacked-off.

"Ahem. In any case, let's see what our friends in Honolulu and Istanbul have to say about this."

* * *

The first person introduced is labeled as Mahiro Inada, President of the Trans-Oceanic Council. He talks in a measured and articulate, albeit heavily accented, manner. However, there is an underlying frigidity in his tone and hardness in his eyes that state a distinct lack of patience towards the events that have occurred.

"An attack on a constituent part of one of our member nations constitutes an attack on all of us. It is bad enough that the UGA is complicit towards the aggressive seizure of long-held territory, against the wishes of both the UK and the territories' inhabitants. However, we cannot stand by and let this flagrant underhanded action, which was initiated without even a declaration of war and resulted in such a loss of young service men and women, go by unanswered. Whatever action the UK decides to take, we will back them unconditionally."

The next guy, introduced as Nazar Ateyew, Premier of the Eurasian Union, is a little less collected. Okay scratch that; he is just a couple notches down from ripping his hair out and having a blood vessel burst from the looks of it. Spittle is flying and his is constantly pounding his fist on the podium.

"The Eurasian Union stands by its allies. We wish for there to be a diplomatic solution to this. However, if Trans-Oceanic Union is willing to meddle militarily in the business of Greater America over a collection of islands far removed from its nearest actual constituent nation, we are willing to provide any and all material support, be it civil or militarily to counter this blatant disregard towards basic sovereignty."

He ends his diatribe by waving his shoe around, probably to intimidate the TOU. I guess.

Most of us crack-up as a result. I mean, how in the world is that supposed to be intimidating?

* * *

After those speeches end, Jen simply gets out a bottle of whisky, fills-up a tumbler sans the rocks, and downs the drink in one setting, before chortling towards the audience with a cheerful smile.

"Welp, we're boned."


	7. Escalation

"What. Is. That?"  _Scratch that, I know what it is. Why do you have it?_

I'm staring incredulously, and probably more than a bit enviously, at the item in Dio's hand. When I realizes what I'm looking at, he dives into an enthusiastic explanation.

"What, this? Your parents gave it to me as a gift and said that it would be useful. Were they right; who knew that a pen could be so versatile yet fancy? It works on both paper and tablets. With the nibs it came with, you can even draw and do calligraphy with it. I'm still trying to figure out all these buttons…"

As he yammers on, I try to get a word in. I already know that the pen's great. It's versatile due to running on the best of Three tech. And it's fancy because it got the ultimate One treatment, with all that tech being clad in precious metals, semi-precious stone, and calfskin. Suffice to say, the thing costs a fortune; a pittance compared to the money our family currently earns, but still. A person doesn't just casually give something like that away.

Now I know what my folks gave him after the dinner, which means that he must have left quite the positive impression on them. And considering that they also function as storage drives, they clearly didn't give him one of theirs but actually bought another in advance for Family Day.

Family Day in general went pretty smoothly. Of course, Ma and Pa just had to get a word in about how messy my side of the room was, especially compared to my roommate's portion, as well as prodding me about my academic progress. It's as if they thought that going over to the Capitol would result in me shirking my studies in favor of doing nothing but drinking.

Okay, maybe there's quite a bit of drinking involved here. But my academics are still in good shape. I can handle myself, and I'm a big kid…

Yeah, yeah, physiologically-speaking of course. But I digress.

In any case, after their little interrogation, my folks did tell me that it was good that I settled in, was meeting new people, and wasn't getting into trouble; at least not in an incriminating way. And dinner was nice. Besides me and my parents, Dio and some of his folks were included.

Oh yeah, Dio's folks: a decent group of individuals. They were the extended family in Two that adopted him after the district was secured; if anything, a couple of them actually reminded me of certain folks back in Central. Though I could have done without everyone cross-examining me to see how I've been treating my roommate.

But in any case: the pen. I did tell my parents beforehand all about my roommate, minus the messed-up aspects. They did say that they would get a trinket for him, which is customary. And I did inform them to get something nice and useful. Just didn't expect that of all things.

He's still rambling, and I should probably stop him now. "Just clarify one thing for me: was its box titanium or mahogany?"

"What's mahogany?"

"It's a reddish hardwood."

"Oh, yeah the box was made out of that. I take it that you're familiar with this?"

I slam my forehead into the desk and keep it there.  _Dagnabbit, they got him a limited edition one with the 25-nib set!_

"Uh… Ned? You alright?"  _Oh, I'm just peachy…_

I've wanted that pen for a long time. However, every request was turned-down with various reasons:  _"You're going to lose it." "It's not practical for you to have here."_ _ _"You're going to lose it."_ "It would just invite a mugging on your walks through the city." "You're going to lose it."_

I mean, it's not like I'm even going to really use the thing. It's just a nice accent to have.

But now it falls into the hands of the kid next to me, and he's so damn upbeat about it.

I could probably mention the price of the pen. The realization that it is probably monetarily worth more than him would be more than enough to put him back in his pla—

_Remember the agreement?_

… Or maybe there is something wrong with me. To think that my initial reaction at Dio showing concern would be to formulate a way to tear him down. Over a pen.

As I get back to my senses, I try to reign in all of my thoughts and recall the little fact that the kid being upbeat is supposed to be a good sign.

I also did mention to my folks that he liked to write and sketch a lot. And judging from the absurdly orderly way he keeps his stuff organized and clean, there is indeed no danger of him losing it. Admittedly, in contrast, my folks have a point that if it is misplaced, it would be a waste. The stuff I already have serves me well; no need to throw a hissy because another is shinier.

I take a deep breath and lift my head up. "Just took me by surprise. That's all. That pen's pretty hard to find."

"Okay. Well, be sure to thank your parents for me. It meant a lot to receive that."

"No problem."

_Stupid internal static._

I focus my attention towards Suetonius. He's going on about how we have a test next week. It's supposed to be cumulative up to this point. Fun.

"… So as long as you paid attention in class, the exam should not present too much of a challenge. Now for today's subject.

"As was explained last period, the attack on the British convoy not only increased tensions between the TOU and the UGA, but also threatened to pull the Eurasian Union into a fight. This was exacerbated by a bombardment campaign by British forces in Buenos Aires to get Argentina to capitulate, as well as a UAF naval blockade of the coast of Brazil and the shelling of Rio de Janeiro.

"Things came to a head when, in an effort to distract the TOU, a preemptive attack of Belize and Guyana was launched in the summer of 2114. The attack was mainly thwarted, but it meant that war was officially declared between the TOU and UGA.

"At the start of fall, the UGA decided to strike at what it considered the heart of the TOU: the UAF itself."

* * *

We're looking at a nighttime shot of a city. Which is nothing new. Except that much of the city is on fire. Blooms of explosions silhouette the buildings and there is a consistent booming heard. Above the landscape, the sky is filled with tracer fire. The sound is muted so a reporter can speak.

"San Antonio. Home to the Alamo and once a key site that played a part in the events leading to the independence of Texas from the United Mexican States, it is now a city under siege by UGA forces.

"The shock-and-awe campaign by the UGA has so far claimed much of the southwest potion of Texas, including the city of Corpus Christi, with ground forces mobilizing outside of San Antonio. Interstates 10 and 37 are now considered to be an informal boundary between UGA-claimed territory to the south and firmly-held Federation land to the north. Past the boundary though, aerial bombardment has rocked the cities of Houston, Austin, and Dallas, as well as Fort Hood.

"In the west, the cities of San Diego, Los Angeles, Tucson, and Phoenix have also been subjected to heavy bombing. Considerable focus has especially been spent on the San Diego Metropolitan Area due to the presence of deep-water naval ports and Marine base Camp Pendleton, as well as its proximity on the border of Mexico.

"UGA leader Lucas Azavado had this to say about the campaign:"

And our favorite bombastic and medal-laden windbag makes his reappearance. "It is just as fair that the collective nations of Latin America bring their might upon Anglo America. For centuries, the United States of America saw fit to treat all the Americas as its playground under its Monroe Doctrine. Well I say it time we returned the favor with interest!"

Back to the reporter. "Chief Commander Andrews and President Campos have so far issued a call for calm among the populace and have commended our armed forces in engaging and containing the UGA. Special mention has been given to those in Fort Bliss for keeping the city of El Paso out of UGA and going so far as taking the Mexican city of Juarez.

"Kyle Rice, TA News."

* * *

"By the way," Suetonius remarks, "a couple days after this report, it was decided by the UGA to firebomb Fort Bliss along with both El Paso and Juarez. Juarez was considered to be a necessary loss in order to deal a blow to UAF morale. The combined death toll of the firebombing was around 1.5 million people, ironically with the higher proportion of those killed in Juarez.

"Instead of serving as a blow to UAF morale, the El Paso Incident became a rallying cry; incidentally, it  _did_  serve as a morale blow to the Mexican populace. By 2115, the UAF not only managed to push all UGA forces out of the country, but began an invasion campaign of its own into the country of Mexico. A bombing campaign commenced on the major cities as well, with special focus on Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Puebla.

"The 2114 Invasion of Texas had far-reaching effects for the UAF and later the world. Immediately, anti-Latino hysteria gripped the nation, with vandalism and public lynching towards Hispanic neighborhoods becoming commonplace. Even non-Mexican Latinos, such as Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans, would occasionally be targeted. In response, many Latinos began Anglicizing their names as a way to both keep a lower profile and serve as a sign of loyalty. Carlos became Carl, Martinez became Martin, and so on.

"Also, the UGA's western bombing campaign not only hit major cities in California and Arizona, it also targeted the perimeter of Camp Sonora. Even after the push back from the UAF, many of the inhabitants from the refugee camp were unaccounted for. This would cause grief later on in the form of militant organizations formed by dissatisfied former inhabitants of the camp.

"The largest impact though was the revelation that much of the invasion was fully backed by the Eurasian Union. Not just with supplies but with advisors and even some attached units.

"The UAF's reaction was swift. In 2115 it proceeded to shut down all Arctic routes in its sphere of influence and sank any Eurasian vessel still in the area after closure. The rest of the TOU supported its measure, especially due to the high probability that the Argentinian venture was also backed by Eurasia.

"Thus war was fully declared between the Trans-Oceana and Eurasia. As the Eurasians saw fit to mobilize Latin America against the TOU, the TOU saw fit to call upon its own ally: the Arab League. And the Arab League members nations still had centuries of built-up grudges to launch into conflict towards certain Eurasian nations.

"I will give you all some supplemental material to read for more details. In the meantime, here are several snippets of broadcasts. Not all are in chronological order."

* * *

Each of the snippets come with footage. Much of it is chaotic.

"Spanish forces were interrupted in their attempt at taking Gibralter by heavy bombardment from the Moroccan Navy. This comes after the declaration from Queen Noor of Morocco to 'facilitate the rebirth of al-Andalus.'"

"Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz to be closed to all traffic. Arab Gulf States nations promise retaliation."

"Multiple car bomb attacks in Ankara, Tbilisi, Baku, and Yerevan today. Casualties are estimated at 72 killed and hundreds injured."

"USS Galveston sunk with all hands near Greenland. Russian submarine blamed."

"Paris declares martial law in light of riots that have set much of the city ablaze."

"A heavy skirmish was reported between Iraqi and Iranian forces."

"The Siege of Malta by French and Italian forces enters into its eighth day."

"Several explosions have rocked Copenhagen in the Nørrebro district."

"Kurdistan has issued a no-fly-zone order and has closed its borders to entry. Special dispensation will have to be made in advance."

"The cities of Mandalay and Yangon were subject to Indian aerial bombardment today. This was in response to the supposed backing of Assam rebels by the government of Myanmar."

"The Channel Tunnel was flooded earlier today by the government of Great Britain in a gesture of severing ties with the Mainland."

"Syrian and Jordanian forces are massing near the Turkish-Syrian border."

* * *

"Well… Things are finally getting interesting," I quip.

Dio's looking at me like I'm crazy again. "I don't think what happening there should be something you find entertaining."

"I never said it was fun. But don't you admit that there is at least something interesting about this? The intrigue? The action? The recklessness? The tools of destruction? The guys back in Central would probably get engineer-boners over the latter.

"This makes our Mockingjay Rebellion look like a bunch of kids awkwardly swinging knives at each oth—oh…"

_Whoops! Too soon?_

Dio doesn't say anything but simply stares at me with his eyes wide and mouth stupidly agape.

"Um, yeah, never mind." Time to refocus back to class before I make things worse.

Looks like the professor is wrapping things up. "I forgot to mention: by 2113, the United Nations had ceased to be cohesive, and in 2114, the organization was officially dissolved. Just a little footnote.

"That concludes this lecture. Remember, exam next week.

"However, before you are all dismissed, I have a video to show. I will explain the meaning of it in the next lecture. For now though, just try to figure out what it means."

* * *

The video takes place in what appears to be a white complex consisting of a large irregularly-shaped plaza, a surrounding structure, and numerous towers. The centerpiece of the complex is a black cube with gold accents. Around said cube is a large crowd of people, mainly clad in white gowns; there are at least enough people to completely fill the plaza, with more streaming in from the outside or standing in the upper stories of the wall. From the looks of things, the people are slowly circling the cube in a counter-clockwise manner, with those closest to the cube comparatively more energetic in their motion.

Suddenly there is a flash of light that briefly illuminates the area brighter than the already-present daylight. Then the video cuts to static.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was seriously debating whether or not to put in the last part, considering how controversial such things of that nature can be. Hopefully nobody gets angry.
> 
> And no, I could not resist the power of mahogany.


	8. The Crescent and the Dragon

"Anger has erupted over the bombing of Mecca."

"Casualties estimated to be at least 2 million dead."

"Leaders from both Trans-Oceanic and Eurasian Unions have offered assistance to the recovery process."

"… An attack has been considered a violation of the Neutrality Accords of 2077."

"One can be sure that there will be reprisals."

* * *

At the beginning of class, Suetonius had replayed the video that had us stumped from the last lecture so as to refresh our memories. This video was followed by the couple snippets of news reports we just saw.

After those had concluded, he turns to us.

"I should probably explain to you the significance of this location. Mecca, a city in in the nation of Hejaz, was considered the most holy city to Islam, a theistic organized religion several millennia-old. The city was where the founder of the religion, Muhammad, originated from.

"The white complex that you saw was the Masjid al-Haram, or Great Mosque, with the large cube in the middle known as the Kaaba. An important element of the Islamic faith was for a Muslim, a name for an adherent of the faith, to take a pilgrimage to the city, namely the annual Hajj. What you saw wasn't the Hajj but one of the daily Umrah pilgrimages.

"But enough about that. If you have any more questions about Islam, you can probably stop by the Caliphate's embassy, which recently opened earlier this year after Panem resumed diplomatic relations with that nation. Instead, we will talk about the bombing itself, as well as the reasons and repercussions."

That talk of religion is admittedly interesting. I don't think that there is anything organized like that in Panem. However, I do recall many people believing in some personal philosophy that tended to have fantastical elements to it. Sometimes it would involve small figurines, other times it would involve a non-depicted, all-powerful being. Most of the time there was lots of prayer involved, as well as a belief in a life after death. Lots of moralizing as well, as if legal laws weren't enough. Either way, they tended to keep it under wraps. Even back in Central, there were a lot of guys, scientist and security alike, who believed in such stuff.

Suetonius is mentioning how a "small" six-megaton nuclear bomb hit the city on the September of 2115. Apparently it was easy to figure-out the culprit, which was the Mandate.

"But why?" he rhetorically asks. "Until now, the Mandate has kept itself out of the conflicts that have otherwise consumed both Eurasia and Trans-Oceana. Well it was because of a mixture of internal problems and neighborly disputes.

"The main one was an uprising by the Uyghur ethnic group, which was majority-Muslim, in the western part of the Mandate. They wanted their region of Xinjiang to become independent. And actually, they did achieve that goal during the dissolution of the People's Republic of China. However, that was short-lived when the Mandate came into being.

"Also there were several regional disputes. The main one was over a collection islands called the Spratly Islands, which was contested between the Mandate and various nations in Southeast Asia. Other cases were the damming and industrialization of the upper reaches of major rivers, namely the Indus and Mekong, which had the dual unpleasantness of not only decreasing the amount of water available for downstream areas but also having the available water extremely polluted.

"Because of this, it was common for there to be funding of the Uyghur rebels from many nations around the world, even including some non-Islamic ones. Not to mention the sanctions placed on the Mandate itself.

"As a response to this, in March 28, 2115 the Mandate sent what was equivalent to a cease-and-desist notice to the world:"

* * *

The leader of the Mandate is an unimposing man. He stands before a massive square, and behind him is an ornate red building.

"We oppose any efforts to undermine the harmony and prosperity of the Mandate. Time and time again, it has been seen that the terrorists in Xinjiang have not worked alone, but have had backing from not just external sources, but foreign governments. This cannot stand.

"We wish to coexist with our global neighbors. Peace is always the desirable goal. And if support is withdrawn, no ill will shall remain. However, if the support of these rebellious factions persists, we will be forced to take punitive yet necessary actions upon not just these factions, but those who back them."

* * *

"Unsurprisingly, this call was unheeded," Suetonius dryly remarks.

"On August 24, several bombs were detonated in the central city of Xi'an. Most were in public transit systems such as metro and rail stations, while another was set off in the city center. All were detonated during peak traffic hour. The bombs contained sarin gas, which is a chemical agent.

"Here is some footage from that attack:"

* * *

In every shot, people are strewn all over the place. Bodies are contorted in varied positions stiffened, by now, in mortis. Most have their faces in rictus, or their mouths and eyes are wide open, as if in surprise; drool and mucus usually covers their features. With many of the bodies, one can also tell that they… lost control of their bodily functions. The most telling thing is that the majority of bodies appeared to have dropped where they were, as if it caught them unaware to the very last second.

That's the not-so-wonderful thing about sarin. It has no color. It has no odor. Once you breathe it in, or even let it absorb through your skin, you're pretty much screwed. To put it simply, it attacks your nervous system. Your chest constricts, nausea takes over, and finally you go into convulsions while your body empties itself. And this can all happen within a minute with a lethal dose, which isn't much. Not a dignified way to go.

Then again, death usually isn't dignified. Ah well, dignity is for suckers.

One thing I notice is that in some of the shots, the bodies don't show evidence of sarin entering them. Instead they are covered in bruises, and many seem to have broken bones.

* * *

Aaand the audience is nauseous again, even the ones used to seeing people suffer in their districts. I kinda wonder how they would react if they saw the victims of the nuclear attack instead of just burnt rubble.

Suetonius goes on as if nothing out of the ordinary was shown. "Besides the initial fatalities causes by the attack, there was the second bonus of panic induced in the city. Areas initially outside the blast zones were gripped with panic, which caused mass fleeing. Many were crushed in the ensuing flight. This was helped along by how densely populated the city was.

"In addition to this, there was the economic impact on the entire Mandate. The city was a major hub in industry and transportation, as well as being an aerospace research center. The attacks ground this to a halt.

"After the investigation concluded that the attack was carried-out by a Uyghur separatist group, with funding and supplies from the Arab League, the reaction was swift, which leads to the bombing of Mecca.

"Now as to the reaction. It has been suspected that the bombing was to demoralize the Muslim world. This footage from Sana'a speaks for itself:"

* * *

The men speaking—scratch that— screaming into a bullhorn is dressed in a similar manner as those we saw in the Mecca video beforehand: A white gown-like piece of clothing that goes down to the ankles; he has a darker robe over that gown though, with a patterned piece of cloth wrapped around his head and an ornate dagger at his waist. The men around him are dressed the same way, as are some in the crowd his is addressing. However, there are just as many in jeans and shirts, while the women tend to be in dresses with their heads covered.

One thing seemed to be uniform with them though. They are all pretty hacked-off… Which seems par for the record in all the crowds we have come across so far. Well, when they weren't dying that is.

"The Infidels of the East have just committed a grievous sin. Millions of innocents perish and our most holy city consumed by flame. All because of an unwillingness to allow our brothers to pursue their own sovereignty.

"Well we shall bring the full weight of our faith and that of our Brothers of the Book upon them. Starting with him."

A man in a what looks to be a tattered jump suit is dragged onto the stage. He is gibbering unintelligibly and is clearly scared for his life. Which I suspect will be shortened very soon.

"This is the dog responsible for this cowardly attack on our holy city. The one with the charred blood of innocents on his hands. It is by the grace of God that we not only managed to shoot down his bomber, but also took him alive. And now he shall face justice as a sign of things to come for the East. The only difference is that they will not get the honor of the sword."

The pilot is forced to his knees, but he refuses to lay his head on the block or sit still. Or stay quiet for that matter. Surprisingly, the guards don't object but just makes sure he stays in one spot. The speaker puts down his bullhorn down to receive a large, heavy sword from his assistant. The ensuing decapitation is protracted, loud, and… messy. Very messy. Much splattering and flopping to be had.

He probably should have just laid his head on the block.

After the head is finally removed, surprisingly with no damage to the face, the executor holds it up by the hair for the crowd to see, all while yelling out an untranslated phrase repeatedly: "Allahu Akbar!"

The crowd repeats the slogan with increasing zeal.

* * *

I glance over to my side to see Dio pointedly facing downwards, with his eyes tightly shut and hands solidly clasped around his ears. It's probably the gurgle, emitted from the pilot as he was hacked-away at, that got to him; the gurgle-scream always seems to get to many people every single time. For someone who was raised to be a warrior, and probably watched the Hunger Games, Dio's pretty damn squeamish. It's almost pitiful and makes me wonder if I actually have anything to fear from him at all.

I jab my elbow in his side to let him know the coast is clear.

"Suffice to say," Suetonius continues, "the Muslim world was anything but demoralized. The storming and destruction of Mandate embassies occurred worldwide.

"Besides the Arab League, there was the added factor that both the Trans-Oceanic and Eurasian Unions has powerful constituent nations with majority Muslim populations. In fact, the TOU had the highest Muslim population via Indonesia, a nation that already had strong anti-Chinese sentiment before the attack. A wave of anti-Chinese pogroms spread across Southeast Asia, with many businesses vandalized and even death warrants on those of Chinese descent. For the Eurasian Union, there was also the added bonus of constituent Muslim nations that directly bordered the Mandate.

"In general, there was also international outrage considering that Hejaz was a neutral inoffensive nation, that lacked a military as per its constitution. Not to mention there were tensions already arising between the three unions. So the attack backfired in extreme proportions.

"So not long after the Arab League declared war against the Mandate, the Eurasian Union and TOU officially followed suit. Note that this did not distract the EU and TOU from their quarrel with each other, though more attention was now put upon their mutual enemy.

"That is it for today. I should actually have your tests in by next week. "

Look like more fun times ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the glorious horror of sarin, as showcased with the attack in the town of Halabja in 1988.
> 
> I'm not sure how necessary it would be to put this disclaimer up, but I would just like to say this is not intended to be a caricature of Muslims or Arabs.


	9. Proxies and Pox

"Eurasian coalition troops are massing in the Wakhan Corridor in preparation for a possible incursion into Mandate territory. Chairwoman Xi Wei has declared that the Mandate is prepared to deflect any invasion and respond tenfold."

"Chief Commander Sinclair states that while the UAF will support the TOU in its actions against the Mandate, it itself will take a passive role of naval blockade and material support. Many suspect this is due to the ongoing occupation of Mexico."

"In response to uprisings, Urumqi was subject to constant firebombing by Mandate bombers yesterday. Causalities are estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands."

"Protests in Dearborn have erupted over perceived UAF inactivity over the Mandate's attack on Mecca."

* * *

"I think you've been enjoying the last few lectures a bit too much." Dio's looking at me in a concerned manner.

_Not this again…_

I simply sigh and roll my eyes towards him. "Like I said before, I don't enjoy death and destruction if that's what you are implying. In fact, I do indeed agree that it's all quite senseless."

"Then why do you seem to be so enthusiastic about all the horrible stuff shown?" While Dio's tone remains pretty critical, he does sound genuinely curious. I guess I can entertain his inquisitiveness.

"Just because I don't enjoy something doesn't mean I'm not fascinated by it.

"Of course there is all the scientific and technical stuff shown, be it mechanical or chemical. I'll admit that I enjoy that. You shouldn't be surprised why a guy like me would be interested in it.

"In some ways, the people of the 22nd century were behind us technologically. No mutts for one, which is a pity. However, in most ways, their technology was actually way more advanced. Look at all their aerial stuff. If anything, through our destructive habits and quests to gain the upper hand over our adversaries, we ironically show our ability to create. Think of all the mundane things we utilize that have some sort of connection to warfare. The good chunk of time, progress is born out of struggle."

I pause a bit, to let some of that sink in. It seems to be having some kind of an impact, judging from the thoughtful expression on his face.

"So in essence, you are saying that progress justifies the slaughter?" He seems cautious in his inquiry.

"I wouldn't put it like that. But… the observation isn't too far off the mark," I admit.

"It doesn't sound like it's worth it. In fact, it sounds needlessly cruel. As if people and societies are nothing but pawns just to achieve an end."

I scoff at that. "Oh come on. Look at the world we were born into. Compassion is well and dandy, but what has it ever gotten us?"

He's almost anticipating that question from the looks of how quick he's to point out, "It brought us the Rebellion and the end to Snow's rule."

_And left me without a job._

But at the same time, the Rebellion saved Dio and made my family filthy rich.

 _Hmm…_  This discussion is not going the way I had planned.

Before I could retort that the Rebellion itself consisted of warfare, Dio asks me, "What's another reason you find this fascinating?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"What I want doesn't really matter. It's more that I find it important to know." There actually seems to be some, dare I say it, conviction in his tone.

"Alright then. The thing I find most fascinating about this is the human condition. If anything, I find it amusing how everybody's killing each other. I would be lying if I said otherwise.," I explain. "Mind you, it's not the death and maiming itself that I find funny; just everything leading up to it. There just seems to be something about people's penchant towards selfishness, distrust, and stupidity leading them towards their own demise that lends itself towards comedy."

Dio seems to be mulling over his words before responding wryly, "I take it that you laugh at yourself quite a bit then."

To say that his statement takes me by surprise, by a huge degree, is a severe understatement.

"Well lookie here… Reckon the Wolf Pup may have some backbone after all," I remark dryly.

He flinches at the nickname, and just like that, said backbone turns back into cartilage as he shakily mutters, "Sorry. I don't know what came over me."

 _Unbelievable_ … It takes every fiber of my being to keep from throwing something at him in frustration.

_And we were actually having some progress there. Granted, referring to him by that name was uncalled for.  
_

"The hell you apologizing for?" I growl, "If you need to call me out on something, do so. I can take what you dish out."

"Um… but the last time someone told you that you were being unreasonable, you began screaming obscenities, and I had to carry you away. Otherwise, you would have tried to cut him open with you–"

I hold my hand up to shush him. "First off, we don't mention that in public. Secondly, that asshole's an extreme fuck-nugget of the highest order. Even someone as nice and open-minded as you could acknowledge that fact. Thirdly, see that? You just called me out for something, and nothing bad came of it.

"If something's bothering you, speak up. You'll be all the better for it. Okay?"

"Okay…" Something tells me he's unconvinced about the last part.

_Ah well, this conversation has definitely run its course anyways. Hopefully I'll get something productive listening to Suetonius.  
_

I didn't miss much. Our professor's simply going over the Mandate in relation to the other unions.

"The Mandate did not have as much area or overall population as the Eurasian Union. It was also not the economic and technological powerhouse that was the TOU. Not to mention that their allies in the African Union were nowhere near the size and power of the UGA or Arab League. However, it had its own advantages.

"The first factor was its high density of population and enforced conscription. This led it to have the largest army in the world at the time, something that would make a land invasion extremely problematic.

"The second factor was its utilization and funding of proxies throughout the world.

"These proxies were in the form of the various non-governmental militant groups that were common place throughout the world by now. Regardless of ideology, the Mandate would support them through advisers and supplies. It would not be uncommon for there to be several groups of opposing viewpoints to all be Mandate-backed. However, it was more common-than-not for the Mandate to back secular organizations. And after the bombing of Mecca, most Islamists threw off its support of them.

"In any case, the years following the attacks saw a rise in militant activity throughout the, especially in areas with high ethnic tensions already in place. The purpose fo these proxies were so that military forces from adversarial nations would be more focused on stamping them out than on attacking the Mandate itself.

"Also, there was the very evident fact that the UAF still refused to get into direct conflict with the Mandate. This was due to no wanting to get involved into a multi-front war as it was still committed to its military objectives in Mexico.

"In general, the UAF citizens preferred to stay out of the conflicts raging across the oceans. And many attended events and form of entertainment as if nothing was going on, as we see in this footage from 2116."

* * *

We're looking at a large arena, with much of it seeming to be covered in vines. The field could be best described as an irregular grassy quadrilateral. The shape's repeated at 1/3 the size and nestled in the acute corner of the field as a dirt path, and the way the players are standing around suggests something familiar…

Ah, it's a baseball game. Though a lot more formal and elaborate than what we're used to. Usually, we'd just find an open area, be it a field or plaza, and play there.

Frankly, I prefer football.

"It's a beautiful day here in the Windy City."

"Beautiful day indeed. Perfect conditions for Game One between the Cubs and Royals."

"It's almost as if Mother Nature were looking fondly upon Wrigley Field. Especially considering that this has been around a century since the Cubs have made it to the World Series."

"Though I wouldn't say that Mother Nature's to be taking any sides here. With fair skies, warm temperatures, and a calm breeze, the weather's supposed to be pretty nice back in Kansas City as well for the rest of the week. And the Royals aren't looking to be making any concessions any time soon."

"We wouldn't wish for it to be any other way."

The announcers banter on back and forth while we look at the field. Two large flags are brought out. One represents the United States; a set of red and white stripes, with a star-filled blue rectangle in the left-hand corner. Another is for the UAF; a stylized bird of prey superimposed over a blue diamond, which itself is superimposed over a red and white background.

A woman in a flashy dress walks to the middle of the field to sing the national anthems of both the US and UAF. The first song seems to talk about some sort of siege and a flag, the US one from the sound of it. The second waxes poetic over mountains, plains, and the fact that the land stretches from "sea to shining sea".

"And now President Richards himself will be here to throw the ceremonial first pitch."

The game gets underway, and I'm wondering what's the point to showing us this.

Suddenly several explosions rock the arena, causing cheers to give way to screams as a wave of panic settles over the spectators. However, there is no fireball or large debris flying around. Instead, a white mist settles over the area. But judging from the fact that nobody is dropping dead or at least going into convulsions hint that it is not a chemical attack.

A view past the arena shows several more puffs of white appearing throughout the city.

* * *

"The white mist was an aerosol," Suetonius explains, "which was considered a conductive way of spreading a biological agent around.

"The next couple articles show the immediate reaction to the attacks."

* * *

Much of Midwest under Quarantine

October 27, 2116  _(233 B.P.)_  (AP) – ATLANTA, GA – Following the multiple terrorists attack in Chicago, National Guard troops have been deployed to enforce checkpoints at every transport route leading out of the Zone of Quarantine declared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The quarantined area includes all of both the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas, plus the surrounding areas. The cities of Madison, Bloomington, and Indianapolis are also under close watch.

The CDC has confirmed the attacks consisted of both smallpox and pneumonic plague released into the air via aerosol. However, it is not yet known who the culprit was.

CDC Director Elliot Livingston urged calm for the populace.

"We understand that many out there are worried about loved ones residing within the quarantine zone," Dr. Livingston stated, "as well as the potential of contracting the disease. While I encourage all to be vigilant in the face of this, I also stress the importance of keeping a cool head."

This is the first time that smallpox has been seen since it was officially declared eradicated by the World Health assembly in 1980. The eradication was considered to be one of modern medicine's greatest victories. Afterwards, the only two places known to contain the virus were the CDC and the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR in Russia.

The CDC has stated that all samples have been accounted for. No response has been forthcoming so far from the Vector Institute.

For those who wish to be prepared, emergency information can be found on the CDC website.

…

US President Remains Behind in Quarantine

October 28, 2116  _(233 B.P.)_  (AP) – Chicago, IL – President Joshua Richards has been adamant that he not be transported out of the quarantine zone set down by the CDC.

"It is not fair to the rest of the people stuck here for me to have special privileges to leave just because I am the president," said President Richards. "If I left, there would be just as much a risk of spreading the disease as anybody else leaving. I am in good hands here and Washington is in capable hands with Chuck."

Vice-president Charles Stevens is currently being briefed in Camp David as to the current situation.

* * *

Smallpox. Plague. Fun stuff.

From what I'm told, smallpox was just beaten into submission around a century ago. The Capitol may have had a significant amount of distaste and contempt towards the districts, but it was pragmatic enough to recognize the costliness of having a deadly and highly-communicable disease jumping around. So they had it more-or-less eradicated from Panem. Though it's said that the virus still ravages the area past the Southern Wilderness.

In the case of plague, the disease has popped up now and again in the cities, but the advantage is that it tends to burn itself out relatively quickly.

In general, I also remember one of the few research restrictions in Central: no development of germ-based weaponry. Yes, even we have some standards.

And what's this? Suetonius is bringing up a video of Chicago to see the effects of the disease on the city.

* * *

It is clear that the city is supposed to be a hub of activity. Instead the streets are barren and littered with trash.

Those who are out don't stay out long, moving determinately in huddled groups.

Several bonfires are going throughout the city. Pretty large ones too; many are occupying entire city blocks.

Then it is clear what the purpose of the bonfires are for: cremation.

Each one is stacked high with corpses. Which makes sense as you don't want to leave dead bodies, which used to be sick people, around; that just invites cholera over.

The camera guy settles on an unburnt pile. The bodies are in various stages of mortis; some obviously died recently while others are completely bloated through purification. With the newer bodies, one can see the physical effects of the disease. To put things simply, most people are rendered unrecognizable due to being covered in nothing but scabs and bumps.

* * *

"Joint responsibility was soon taken for the attack by the 'Sons of Sonora' and 'Pine Ridge Brotherhood', two major terrorist organizations. The SoS stated purpose was to represent and free interred refugees, while the PRB was an indigenous separatist group.

"Military action against them was swift, and it did not take long for their cells to be uprooted. In the process, a connection was found to have been fostered between the groups and the Mandate, which supplied the germ bombs. It was something that took nobody by surprise.

"Later, similar attacks would occur throughout the TOU, Eurasia, and their respective allies."

The map behind Suetonius shows all the cities the germ attacks went off in. Istanbul, Cairo, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Johannesburg, Tehran, Hyderabad, Sao Paolo, Osaka, Singapore, Sydney…

"It is suspected that the purpose of the attack was to keep the other nations distracted so that they would be more focused on taking care of their sick and hunting down the terrorist organizations, rather than putting their energies towards restricting the Mandate.

"Of course, like their previous sojourn into Mecca, that plan backfired. The TOU and EU more or less ceased their fight against each other to instead focus on the events at hand. And after it was found out who backed the attacks, the UAF no longer took a passive-aggressive stance towards the Mandate but prepared to bring the war to its doorstep."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I had America the Beautiful to be adopted as the UAF National Anthem. I couldn't think of anything else that could apply to both the US and Canada, even if the parts alluding to "pilgrims" and "patriots" may be stretching things. Perhaps they modified those bits.


	10. COCKED PISTOL

"Today is going to be a considerably longer lecture," Suetonius tells us. "We have a lot to cover and, including today, only have four more lecture periods before your final."

"When the Mandate was formed, the new government decided to institute the policy of 'Fertile Prosperity'. This meant that there would be incentives for Han Chinese families to have more kids, which was a reversal of the 'One Child' policy that was of the previous regime. The idea was that to increase productivity in the fledgling nation, there would have to be more hands on board. Also it was to help dilute any influence of the ethnic minorities that populated the region. By the 22nd century, the population of the Mandate was almost 2 billion people. This would be an asset in the coming war.

"When the UAF officially declared war, the Mandate abandoned any pretense of avoiding conflict and decided to act upon its territorial ambitions. The spot that it attempted to invade was the peninsular nation of Korea. In preparation for this, UAF sent ground units to bolster the Korean forces. Of note was the 1st Marines and 3rd Infantry Division.

"Even though the Mandate abandoned the ideology of communism, which was a hallmark of the People's Republic of China, it still retained a collectivist mentality. This, combined with its high population, ensured that it could regard its populace as expendable if it achieved a greater purpose. It was most apparent in the tactics, colloquially termed 'human wave', described in the following interview, which took place in the winter of 2117."

* * *

The man we're looking at has definitely seen better times. His eyes are sunken and bloodshot, stubble covers his just-as-sunken cheeks, and his index finger constantly taps on the table in front of him in a constant rhythm-less beat. The fatigues he's wearing are rumpled and caked with grime and dried blood, which suggest that he just got out of an engagement and hadn't had time to change. Or take a shower for that matter. From the looks of his general physical appearance, he's probably in his early twenties; however, judging from his expression and the manner at which he carries himself, it seems like an extra decade got slapped on.

A person behind the camera questions him. "Can you please introduce yourself?"

"Lance Corporal Jordan Elliot, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines." Despite the weary tone to it, his voice comes out firm and measured. However the finger keeps on tapping, as if operating independently from him. His eyes focus on nothing in particular.

"Can you summarize to me the events that transpired this past week? You have permission to speak freely."

"Alright… Well, we were stationed to the north of Pyongyang. Word came that Mike had finally broken through the Yalu and was advancing southward. We were supposed to hold them off while the civilians got clear. Right at the moment of the next sunrise, the first of them came. The first out of many.

"They… they just kept coming. And we just kept mowing them down. Many weren't even armed; they would just pick up the weapons that their dead comrades had dropped. I think the youngest of them were around 12 or 13. I—I have brother back home about the same age. There were—excuse me."

He pauses a bit to compose himself, taking several deep breaths in the process.

"We can stop for a while if you wish," the interviewer says.

Elliot shakes his head. "No, no. Let's just get this over with.

"Anyways, there would be times when they stopped; those intervals usually lasted around a couple hours. We used that precious time to check on our wounded and take a quick nap in rotations. Then it would start up again. Rinse, lather and repeat. Day and night. Over and over and over…"

"I believe the saying is 'lather, rinse and repeat'."

"Whatever." Elliot doesn't even sound irritated in his rebuke; just tired.

"On the third day, help finally came. We waited until one of the calm intervals came around before boarding the transports. Due to lack of space, we had to leave our dead behind, as well as all of our equipment, and they couldn't risk going back. So we blew up the latter, and used our remaining incendiaries to cremate the former, just to be on the safe side.

"And now here I am," he says with a shrug.

"Is there anything else you would like to add?"

"Not really. I just never understood why they'd do such a thing. It seemed so senseless. But, from what I hear, they seem to be succeeding in taking the Peninsula. So the tactic must have worked at some level, I guess…"

"That will be all, Marine. Thank you for your time."

"Whatever…"

* * *

"Yes, Mr. Interviewer. Because that's the first thing Elliot wanted: a lesson in the proper delivery of idioms. Fucking asshole." Dio's muttered comment earns a double-take from me. Not just the fact that Mr. Straightlace here is indeed capable of utilizing an expanded vocabulary, but that he also delivered that statement in such a caustic tone. There may be hope for him yet.

The map of the peninsula shows the Mandate forces steadily pushing southward.

"As the interviewed Marine mentioned, the Mandate had indeed managed to break across the border between the two nations, which was mostly denoted by the Yalu River. Besides the human-wave tactics, part of this was due to the strategic softening-up of the UAF forces through the use of neutron bombs."

_Well this is going to be interesting…_

There were always talks of converting some of our nukes into neutron bombs, but they were shot down under the idea that they really weren't that practical. Though I don't remember why exactly it was considered impractical.

* * *

Someone apparently brought a video camera with them into a tank just to record the crew's day-to-day life.

Everybody in the tank is clearly relaxing, and they are playing some kind of card game while joking around.

That is interrupted when one of the guys mentions that there is a launch detected in the distance. They fly into action and there is a call to shut the hatch. The camera, which was set in a corner, keeps on recording. When it is mentioned that the missile exploded, and the type of explosion that occurred, panic suddenly grips the crew while they desperately fumble at the hatch in an attempt to escape the soon-to-be deathtrap.

That is when the screams begin. Pure, agonized screams of pain and terror as the tank stops being a tank and starts practically being a microwave oven. The camera finally gives out due to the rising heat and radiation, but not before recording the blisters appearing on everybody.

* * *

Much of the class turns away even before the screaming starts. Even I admit that I winced at the end.

From what I remember — honestly wasn't really paying attention — from listening to some of the guys back in Explosives, the principle of a neutron bomb is actually quite simple. With a normal fusion nuke, there's a casing that reflects the radiation back inside, which helps continue the reaction to make a bigger bang. But a neutron bomb lacks the same casing. So instead of leveling a city, it'd just level several blocks. However, since it just allows the neutrons to simply fly out, the actual damage past the initial blast is that of the radiation itself directly killing-off organic life and turning armor against its occupants.

In any case, this time I'm actually sympathetic to any negative emotional reaction Dio may have. Though when I look over, it is clear that "bad reaction" is a serious understatement.

What's expected is his eyes shut tightly and hands clamped over his ears. Not as expected is him completely doubled-over and almost curled-up into a ball. There's something about it that has especially gotten to him, and I don't think it's just the screams.

I look over across the room at Paylor, and she's looking back with an expression of extreme concern on her face.  _That_  causes me to take a pen out of my pocket and place it in front of me just to be on the safe side.

If Suetonius has noticed the commotion, he makes no sign of it. "The tank we just saw was from the 3rd Infantry Division, which suffered immense casualties during the Mandate's southward push.

"The irony is that, after the neutron bomb attacks, UAF forces actually ended up using similar human-wave tactics against the Mandate. Even though most armored forces were taken out immediately by the attack, the good portion of infantry initially survived. However, they had several days at most to live due to radiation poisoning. So the majority of them decided to rush the Mandate forces themselves, inflicting serious casualties on their enemy in the process."

_Oh, that's why they are considered impractical._

"Note that this was not to stop the Mandate's advance, but merely to buy time for evacuation forces to complete their mission. It turned out that the action they took was invaluable to the evacuation effort.

"The Korean Exodus was considered to be the greatest evacuation movement in modern history. UAF and Korean forces managed to evacuate themselves and four-fifths of the Korean population, which numbered around 80 million people, to Japan. Much of the migration was by sea, with a varied assortment of vessels contributing: from troop carriers, passenger ships, and cargo vessels, to fishing boats and personal recreation transport. Many of these vessels would end up taking multiple trips, most of the time at the risk of being sunken by Mandate torpedoes. However, a sizable portion of the evacuation was carried out through air transport. The most notable was the Incheon Airlift, which a fleet of military and civilian aircraft constantly ferried people out of the Seoul-Incheon metropolitan area. During the airlift, the planes were required to fly just a couple hundred feet in altitude to avoid anti-aircraft fire.

"The aircraft the following footage took place on was part of the 317th Airlift Group."

* * *

The sun has just set, but that doesn't mean that the sky isn't illuminated. This time, by anti-aircraft fire in the form of missiles and shells.

Everything is filmed from the side window of an aircraft which, as Suetonius mentioned, was flying dangerously close to the water's surface at high speed. Many other aircraft of various shapes and sizes are seen around it as well; some are going in the same direction while others are flying the opposite way. Smaller aircraft release suppressing fire of their own against the missile barrage. Every now and then, an explosion would signify an aircraft's demise, its fiery debris raining down and zipping out of sight as everybody else continues on with the mission. One large aircraft gets especially too close to the water and ends up tumbling into pieces.

Finally the aircraft reaches an airport, where a large crowd awaits. Once it lands, the back door is thrown wide open and people pile in. Besides the aircraft, boats can be seen taking passengers of their own.

In the distance, the entire horizon is lit by the flames of a burning city.

Once it is clear that capacity has been reached, the door is shut, but not before the vehicle already takes off. As it flies back from its point of origin, muffled explosions shake it, signifying that there is still risk of it being shot down. The passengers, mainly children and the elderly, huddle together for the sake of security.

Finally the booming fades away to nothing.

* * *

In spite of themselves, much of the class erupts into cheers. Unsurprising since most videos we watch tend to end in tragedy. That and the whole  _persevere-against-all-overwhelming-odds_  thing that seems to have gripped the mentality of this nation.

"This operation carried on until the airport itself was finally fully overrun.

"Japan itself became extremely fortified to discourage an air incursion by Mandate forces. The fact that it was an island nation helped with that as the Mandate's naval power did not remotely approach that of the UAF, which was bolstering the defenses. The same fortification measures were occurring in Taiwan and the Philippines.

"That did not stop many from fleeing towards to other parts of the TOU, including UAF, to put as much distance between them and the Mandate. In response to the situation, the UAF temporarily suspended its immigration quotas to allow the influx of the refugees. In turn, it took advantage of the increased labor pool to increase industrial production of military hardware at a scale not seen since World War II. Most of the production would be geared towards remote-operated drones that could attack enemies en-masse without human casualties on their side.

"In general, the overall mentality of UAF citizens was at an all-time high in support for the military action against the Mandate. Gone was the isolationist attitude that typified them in years prior. Instead of viewing the other nations of the TOU simply as necessary allies, they began viewing them as fellows against an expansionist and perfidious empire. Enlistment was at an all-time high, which negated the need for conscription, a prospect that many UAF officials feared.

"Of course, just to be sure, propaganda was constantly churned-out for morale's sake."

* * *

The propo we're seeing is an animated film titled "A Day in the Life of Mandate Mike."

We're introduced to Mandate Mike, who's… interesting. He is a gaunt figure, with cat-pupiled eyes, alternating between being very narrow and slanted or bugging out, buck teeth, and a long thin mustache. His nails are long and curved, his skin greenish yellow, and he wears a long yellow robe. Oh, and whenever he talks, his "r's" are replaced with "l's".

So far his antics consist of deceiving a whole bunch of diplomats, using peasants as door mats, throwing trash in his neighbors' backyards, and attempting to get away from his morbidly-obese, bedridden wife. Said wife has a constant stream of baby Mikes shooting out of her bedsheets.

_Ew…_

When he's not with his wife, he's chasing after women several times younger than him, always getting hurt in the process.

At one point he is accosted by a bearded giant in a furry hat and long coat. After they get into a scuffle, where he — with the help of his little children/clones/minions — barely beats Fur-Cap, Mike turns his sights to a raven-haired girl wearing what I assume to be another cultural outfit: a white shirt with a red ankle-length skirt tied at the chest. He approaches her lecherously, but she just pulls out a little dagger to stab him in the eye.

Mike reacts by screaming like a little bitch and flailing around. Before he can recover, the girl brings back-up in the form of a diverse group of soldiers, with a UAF soldier at the head; naturally, the UAF soldier and his allies are shown to be the pinnacle of physical perfection. Mike attempts to send his minions against the crew, but they are easily blasted away.

Mike proceeds to flee to his palace, which is blown up, and his tattered robe flutters down from the sky.

The film ends with the girl throwing herself onto the UAF soldier, who winks at the camera while bold letters flash:

"BUY WAR BONDS"

Iris out.

* * *

_Subtle. Reeeal subtle…_

Though in the end, most of us got a kick out of the cartoon. Despite all the horrible things everybody just saw and heard earlier in the lecture, a lot of laughter abounds. Maybe it was just the over-the-top nature of it, but it definitely relieved much of the stress in the class. I look at Dio to see that even he's joining in the good cheer, though he's still considerably paler than usual.

Suetonius seems to pick up on that. "Most of these shows were not actually made for the general public, though they were shown to them, but for the armed forces serving abroad. These, as well as live performances by celebrities, were to help boost morale among those far from home.

"The funny thing was that ethnic Chinese populated the UAF, and Taiwan itself was an ethnically-Chinese nation. Yet there was little objection to the caricature made of Mandate Mike, also known as Mandarin Mike or simply Mike, which became the term used for Mandate forces. Perhaps it was due to the distinction made between the Mandate and the other Asian communities surrounding it.

"And of course the Mandate itself created caricatures of its enemies as well, as can be seen with this poster:"

A poster is shown with what I assume is a Mandate soldier plunging a bayonet into a UAF soldier. This time the Mandate soldier is the pinnacle of physical perfection, while the UAF soldier is a dark-skinned ape-like creature with an over-sized nose. The UAF's allies, all pitiful but differentiated through their various cultural costumes, can be seen fleeing in the background. Several of the allies seem to be more defined than others: one especially-skinny guy wears a blue gown and conical hat, another person is bearded and wears the robe I've come to associate with the Arab League, and the most prominent guy is effeminate and currently throwing himself upon his own sword. To top it off, script, which I now know to be Mandarin, is printed in bold red at the upper margin of the poster.

Nobody in the class is amused.

The map zooms out from the Korean Peninsula to focus on an area south of the Mandate.

"Around the same time of the Korean Campaign, the Mandate's attempted invasion of Southeast Asia, namely Vietnam, was… considerably less fruitful. Throughout its history the nation of Vietnam had staved off multiple invasions from China, in its various incarnations. Unsurprisingly, they were prepared for an invasion by the turn of the 22nd century. The invasion by the Mandate was kicked-off partly due to the strategic nature of the territory but also in retaliation for several attacks that destroyed its dams on the upper Mekong River.

"Even though by this time, Vietnam was a fully developed nation, it did not forgo its skills at guerrilla warfare. Even more, most of Southeast Asia began taking an environmentally-conscious outlook towards development in the mid-21st century. This meant that most of the region that wasn't urban was covered in dense forest, which was a perfect setting for guerrilla attacks and impractical for the human-wave attacks favored by the Mandate. The Vietnamese would be assisted by UAF forces, especially those of the Rangers.

"This footage was taken around in the Red River valley in northern Vietnam. It was taken by a journalist attached to a platoon from the 75th Ranger Regiment. The platoon is working alongside a Vietnamese unit."

* * *

The platoon is traveling through a dense jungle. Suddenly there is an order to halt. Soon it is clear why the order is made; a convoy of Mandate tanks are moving along an abandoned road.

However, before the convoy advances any further, the lead tank gets bogged down in some sort of trap. Right when that happens, suppressing fire seems to come out of nowhere.

When it is clear that the armored unit is not going anywhere, one guy calls in an airstrike.

A short time-skip later, a sound, similar to that of ripping cloth, is heard, and the tanks are torn to shreds. As are the poor people caught in the path.

_Ooh... it's probably a rotary cannon._

When the camera point up, several gunships can be seen blazing away while flying at relatively slow speed.

The Mandate survivors that are left are either shot on the spot by Vietnamese troops, or they flee toward the jungle where they run into other traps. A lot of the traps involve spikes.

* * *

"Even though later-on, the Mandate would resort to firebombing Hanoi, the Vietnamese would manage to keep them out to the end of the war."

The map pans back to the north and zooms out.

"When all was said and done though, the territory the Mandate was most interested in obtaining was not in the TOU. It was in the Eurasian Union. More specifically, it was the melted permafrost of Russia. This land was ripe for utilization of agriculture, something which the Mandate was to find most helpful in feeding its populace. By 2133, the Mandate had managed to occupy the majority of Siberia. Eurasia retaliated by attempting an invasion through Tibet and Xinjiang.

"While normally the TOU would sit by and watch two of its biggest rivals beat each other up, there soon became a clear issue. As the Mandate spread its territory, it became clear that it was very close to taking a key geographical feature: the Chukchi Peninsula. If that peninsula was taken, the Mandate would be right across the Bering Strait, which was less than a 100 kilometers wide, from the UAF state of Alaska.

"In response, the TOU decided to sign an armistice with the Eurasian Union and its allies. This allowed both unions to focus their full resources in containing the Mandate. In response to that, the Mandate did what was considered to be the unthinkable."

* * *

We are looking at what looks to be a birds-eye view of an ocean shoreline. Which is all well and good, except for the fact that the beach is completely black, and the water itself is murky and has an iridescent sheen to it. A petroleum spill.

On the ground, aquatic animal carcasses are strewn all over the place. Fish, bird, turtles, cetaceans… Those that aren't dead, mainly birds, are moving feebly around. Fortunately for some of them, there are people desperately helping to clean them.

Besides beaches, harbors have also been swamped by the oil. It is clear from the reactions of the people that livelihoods have been wrecked.

There are a few places shown that don't look like someone has gone over them with a bucket of black paint. That's because those places are on fire.

* * *

_Now that's beyond senseless._

I can feel my teeth involuntarily clenching in response to the complete waste and desolation that is before us.

"As was mentioned earlier in this class, while the majority of the world had weaned itself off of petroleum-based fuels, the compound was still utilized. And the UAF still had operational wells in the Gulf of Mexico.

"So the Mandate's course of action was to attack these wells. The resultant oil spill was an ecological disaster of an extreme magnitude and succeeded in immobilizing the Gulf Coast economically due to the reliance on marine traffic and the fishery industry.

"This action would be repeated in the oil fields of the Arab League and Eurasia.

"Soon it was clear that the war was about to reach a whole new level.

"Class dismissed."

While everybody's getting packed, Dio seems deep in thought at this moment. I tap on his shoulder to get his attention. His flinch, in response, almost causes me to automatically go into self-defense posture. Almost. Though it took every ounce of self-control.

"Hey, you alright?" I try to keep my face from betraying any sign of wariness.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just some scary imagery." He gives me a weak smile as assurance as he quickly puts his stuff away.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you're a terrible liar?"

He waves me off. "Seriously, it's just me having a weak stomach, as usual. That's all. No need to worry."

"You sure?"

"Positive." His smile widens into a big grin. "I just may possibly need some fresh air, and I'll be all good. I'll wait for you at the entrance. We can race back to the dorms." And just like that, he heads off as if nothing even happened.

_Huh... Is it just me, or are his pupils slightly dilated?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is curious, "COCKED PISTOL" is the exercise term for DEFCON 1.
> 
> And yes, somehow, America has gone back to the 1940's in terms of cartoon culture.


	11. Mushroom Season

Suetonius has been going on for some time about worldwide conflict escalation, especially between the UAF and the Mandate, ever since the oil rig attacks. Frankly, it seems like a rehashing of last week's lecture. Bombardment here, ground incursions there… oh and an peace treaty between Eurasia and the TOU. However, he finally arrives at a topic that catches my attention.

"While the Mandate tended to be fairly secretive about its developments, it was clear to the rest of the world that it had ramped up nuclear research and production in the latter portion of the 21st century. By the beginning of the 22nd century, it was suspected that they contained at least eight thousand warheads, with an unknown number of them active. This caused other nations to slow down, and in some cases cease, their disarmament programs which had been progressing since the end of the 20th century.

"The Mandate's goal was to be able to make full use of their considerable warhead stockpile when it finally came time to release them. And in 2118, joint-UAF-Eurasian bombing raids on major Mandate cities caused tensions to reach a tipping point."

On cue, the map behind Suetonius is filled with lines emanating from the Mandate. In some cases, they emanate from points in the ocean as well. And there are a ton of lines, many of them almost redundant in the fact that they are heading towards the same target.

"Some of you might be wondering why there are sometimes at least five bombs for every target. The answer is simply that the UAF had an extremely effective missile shield in place.

"So the principle was simple: for every missile that was intercepted, several would successfully reach their target. At that point, many did not have to hit their intended target directly, but simply be within reasonable range."

And indeed, some of the lines do terminate prematurely. But many still make it through. That's when a list of cities starts being read out:

New York, Washington DC, Newport News, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego, Boston, Hartford, Charlotte, Seattle, Vancouver, San Francisco, Houston, Toronto, Ottawa, Atlanta, San Jose, Buffalo, Charleston, Montreal, Phoenix, Dallas, West Point, Tacoma, Anchorage, Raleigh, Pittsburgh, Annapolis, Quebec City, Portland, Baltimore, Trenton, Albuquerque, Halifax, Salt Lake City, Providence, Jacksonville, Calgary, Austin, Eugene, Las Vegas, Rochester, Sacramento, Saint John, Redding, Syracuse, Fresno, Boise, Edmonton, Tallahassee, another Jacksonville, Portsmouth, Denver, Austin, Savannah, Bakersfield, Colorado Springs, Columbus, Tampa, Richmond…

The list keeps going on and on… and on to the point that it becomes hard to keep up. In some cases, you can see the lines strike at points in between the cities. The strikes are most notable in the range from Portland to San Diego, and from DC to Moncton. By the number of nukes hitting the regions, even in areas that have negligible comparative population densities, it is clear that these spots have definitely been slagged to all hell. After seeing that, I have little doubts as to how they became the Western and Eastern Wilderness, respectively. I wonder if one is capable of wandering around those locations these days.

And, of course, each strike read out comes with the number of initial fatalities. Most numbers are in the millions or hundreds-of-thousands.

"You may be wondering why the interior of the UAF was mostly spared by the barrage, and why the barrage on the coasts tended to concentrated in the southwest and northeast portions of the coastal regions. The Northeast and the state of California bore the sheer brunt of the attack simply due to the population numbers and economic value they contained. The main reason the interior was spared was to retain the arable interior in the prospect of invasion and colonization. There was also the factor of the Great Lakes region being gripped by pestilence, so the Mandate was content to leave them be to serve as a burden for the UAF. The Pacific Northwest and the Southeast also had resource value; thus, even though their major cities were still hit, damage still was not as severe as what happened to their counterparts south of the Columbia and north of the Potomac, respectively.

"That is not to say that the interior cities were immune to strikes though. Instead of megaton-level nuclear barrages though, they were targeted with neutron bombs, which we went over last week."

Another list appears:

Minneapolis, Little Rock, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Louisville, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Green Bay, Saskatoon, Columbus, Wichita, St. Louis, Omaha, Jackson, Winnipeg, Detroit, Birmingham, Cleveland…

The numbers are significantly less than before. Adding up the two attacks, the total number of initial kills is at around 150 million people out of 400 million.

_Daaamn…_

"Amazingly, Centerpoint managed to avoid destruction in the attack. Part of it was due to the defense shield taking out all but one of the missiles intended for it. The one missile that made it through ended up exploding over an experimental force field developed just a decade beforehand. Previously, the force field was deployed simply to keep the CDA within a stable climate, much like what is deployed around the Capitol and formerly utilized in the arenas. However, once hostilities broke out, attention was made to possibly strengthen it in the case of an attack. Even though it probably would not have been able to survive another attack, the shield protected the populace against the explosion, electromagnetic pulse, and ensuing radiation. The worst cases were individuals blinded when they were still above ground during the barrage.

"The TOU capital of Honolulu and the archipelago it was on was also spared. Many suspect that is was to preserve a strategic prize for the Mandate to claim.

"However, the rest of the TOU and its allies received fire as well, albeit not remotely close to the extent of the UAF."

Banda Aceh, Tokyo, London, Casablanca, Manila, Muscat, Yangon, Kyoto, Perth, Riyadh, Saigon, Kuala Lampur, Lagos, Sana'a, Taipei, Baghdad, Bangkok, Manama, Kampala, Khartoum, Auckland, Nairobi, Osaka, Tripoli, Dubai, Cape Town, Nara, Jakarta… Another 150 million.

"And for the sake of getting a preemptive upper-hand, attacks were launched at the Eurasian Union and its allies, which were in the process of invading Mandate territory."

Moscow, Paris, Esfahan, Caracas, Sarajevo, Copenhagen, Grozny, Karachi, Naples, Ankara, Madrid, Yerevan, Colombo, Barcelona, Bogota, Qom, Athens, Mumbai, Helsinki, Lisbon, Belgrade, Mexico City, Tbilisi, Kandahar, Amsterdam, Goa, Brasilia, Marseilles, Kolkata, Oslo, Brussels, Kabul, Tashkent, Warsaw, Budapest, Baku, Prague, Delhi, Lima, Stockholm, Buenos Aires… 500 million.

"Of course, TOU and Eurasia did not lack retaliatory capability. So while being struck, they delivered strikes of their own towards the Mandate and its allies. And in contrast to the UAF, the Mandate had a smaller area and lacked an effective missile shield."

Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Luanda, Zhuhai, Kinshasa, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Chengdu, Bamako, Nanjing, Harbin, Wuhan, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chongqing, Dongguan, Wuxi, Jiangmen, Taizhou… And so on. The Mandate's enemies definitely did not pull any punches in their retaliation. 850 million initial deaths.

At this point, I can see a sickly and distressed atmosphere settle over much of the class, which is definitely interesting. Except for the map, there aren't even any visuals to accompany the presentation so far. Though I suspect that we're not done yet.

"While looking at maps and statistics is all well and good, they do not paint a full picture of the devastation nuclear warfare can bring about. So coming up, I will show some footage of some of the attacks themselves. Also covered will be the effects, direct and indirect, of the bombs on the ground."

_Ah, here were g-oh hell._

"Hey… Um, kid?" Dio current stares at the screen with a mixture of intense focus, horror, and fascination. He also doesn't seem to have heard me the first time. "Kid. Dio!"

"Bwhuh?" Despite my concern, the slack-jawed look he has when shaken out of that focus is still pretty damn amusing.

"You maaay definitely want to close your eyes or look away for this one. Just a fair warning in advance."

"Oh—okay…"

Other than the obvious fact that he tends to be bothered by deaths and the like in general, I'm still not sure what really gets to him. But the last thing we need is a potential repeat of last week. That was seriously freaky and worrisome.

* * *

The footage starts out innocent enough. Ballistic missiles rocketing into the sky, as well as bombers dropping their payload. Then comes footage of the explosions themselves. Considering electromagnetic pulse, there's no up-close footage of a nuclear explosion. They start out as nice incandescent spheres of debris, superheated gas, and radioactive material. Almost like new temporary suns being formed… which is what they pretty much are. As they rise up, the vortex turns them into massive mushroom-like cloud. This goes on for a while.

Then we see the devastation.

A charred remains of a city, labeled as New York. I remember seeing it in the very first video we saw during our first day of class: the city filled with tall skyscrapers and shining lights. Now it is mostly flattened rubble; the rivers flanking the island grey with contaminated sedimentation.

We go through the burnt husk of a city. Anything still standing has been blackened. Buildings, trees, elevated roads… Rails and metal poles have been warped by the heat, while cars and trains sit as amorphous globs. There are some spots that haven't been blackened though. A tree casts the inverse of a shadow upon the wall behind it. Several of these reverse shadows can be seen on walls and steps, and some of them are definitely human-sized.

That's when we see the human side, and it affirms to me the good choice in telling Dio to look away.

Naturally, we start with the lucky ones: the people who died in the initial explosion, be it off the shockwave, heat, or debris. They lie crispy and contorted, all features burnt or melted away. Teeth contrast white against charcoal skin and brittle bones. Some bodies are shown to have, in a futile gesture, attempted to shield others from the blast. On closer inspection, one lump is definitely of an adult covering an infant; the gender is unable to be distinguished from the image. Those not burnt to a crisp are seen crushed by falling debris. Sometimes, they are entire groups of people who have attempted to seek shelter in a structure that couldn't withstand the onslaught. Other people have been torn to ribbons by regular objects that were transformed into deadly shrapnel, or they were internally pulverized by the shockwave formed.

After the initial dead, we move on the unlucky ones: those who survived the first couple minutes. Most have been completely incapacitated, those conscious enough to be aware gesturing feebly at their surroundings. Many are burn victims, their skin pretty much broiled away, exposing the vulnerable flesh beneath. Where the skin has not been burned away, it has been rendered into a putty, leaving the still-alive victim completely unrecognizable. In some cases, people have partially merged with whatever they have been wearing. Some folk far enough from the blast, but caught out in the open, even have whatever design on their clothing branded onto their skin through the same silhouette principle seen earlier. Many people have also been blinded; their retinas completely burnt-out.

Those not completely incapacitated shamble around, displaced from their now-destroyed homes. They move with no aim or ambition, just the remnants of the instinct to survive. Some are shown to have simply lain down, never to get up again. Others devolve to feral and vicious behavior; one cameraman is even taken out by a pack.

It begins to rain. But instead of clear, life-giving water, this rain is blackened by radiation-laden particulate matter. It covers everything and connects to the waterways, soiling all sources of drinking water.

The people, who did not die yet from the explosion or burns, now get to suffer through the poisoning due to the radiation working its magic and eliminating the body's ability to repair itself, especially when the marrow is struck. Hair falls out, anemia onsets, skin sloughs off, and starvation ensues due to loss of appetite. Then there're the tumors we see, created from damaged genetic material fouling-up the cell life-and-death cycle.

Finally, the offspring: those who had the misfortune of being conceived before the blasts went off and had the radiation ravage them while they were still in the womb. The ravaging itself occurred through the radiation messing around with transcription factors for the very proteins, like sonic hedgehog — I'm still wondering what kind of hedgehog is sonic — important in regulating development. The result of this are wonders like microcephaly, cyclopia, failed development of limbs, and more! The good chunk of the infants are lucky enough to be stillbirths.

And we get to see all of it.

* * *

All in all, a fun ride… Not.

"Is it over?" Dio's peering at me anxiously while still keeping his head on the desk.

I murmur, "Yeah, it's over."

 _I also need a drink._  I've seen enough death and disfigurement, and not just from the Hunger Games, in the years of my life to be able to shrug most of it off. However, nukes still bug the hell out of me.

"It would be good to bear in mind that the total deaths from the nuclear attacks themselves were at least 150-to-300% of the initial ones, depending on factors such as medical care quality and access. Post-attack deaths mostly came from burns and radiation poisoning. These statistics don't even factor in additional casualties resulting from radiation spread by air currents to other regions, crop failures, or infrastructural collapse from the destruction itself and the EMP."

Suetonius delivers this as dry as he delivers everything else.

If I thought I saw the class horrified before, I've seriously underestimated their capability of being shocked. Not even the lived-through-poverty-and-fought-in-rebellions guys can stomach the scenes. What's more, even Paylor, the rest of the government officials sitting-in, and the security team have a mixture of nausea and horror on their faces. Some have actually vacated the room during the footage's play.

While it's expected that the limp-wristed Capitolites are shocked at what they see, the distressed reaction that has gripped the Thirteeners is something that's quite telling. I guess they're clueless as to the full capabilities of the weapons their district identified with. I can't help but feel a considerable surge of contempt towards that level of ignorance. If you have any kind of weapon in possession, you should damn well know the full destructive capabilities of it.

All in all, I have this feeling that Suetonius' motive for showing this graphic footage to us is ulterior, and not just because it's fun to see people squirm… which it is.

Though, as usual, our professor lectures on as if nothing's amiss: "In the aftermath of this, an armistice was signed between the three major unions, as none of them were in any frame of mind to enforce a surrender. So the focus was on licking their wounds and rebuilding.

"However, the natural world had other ideas."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will come soft rains…


	12. Coincidences

In the usual call for questions, I decide to raise my hand ask something that's been nagging at me.

"Yes, Edwen?"

"From my understanding, due to the half-life principle, radiation from a nuclear strike should have faded to harmless levels now."

"Of course. Remember that there are places where we now inhabit that were previously leveled by strikes."

"Okay, well that gets me wondering. Why hasn't there been any move to inhabit the Eastern and Western Wildernesses? Even with the considerably greater concentrated bombardment they were subjected to, after a couple centuries you would think that there would be a desire to expand."

"Well the practical answer is that the previous regime were more focused on keeping the populace in line than attaining more territory. It was hard enough ruling the country as it was, imagine it spread out even more.

"However, while the west hasn't been explored recently, several expeditions were sent out east, and you are correct in that radiation went down to negligible levels over a century ago. We also found signs of recent habitation, though not of a settled lifestyle. After several teams went missing, the expeditions were canceled."

So there  _are_  probably groups of people living out there. Feral groups. Feral groups that descended from people not only forced through a genetic bottleneck but who actually continuously lived and bred in areas with dangerous amounts of radiation in the soil and water.

I barely suppress a shudder.

Dio notices and actually chuckles at my reaction. That is until I describe to him, in detail, my little thought which caused the brief bout of nausea. His chuckling immediately ceases and is replaced by significant amounts of blanching; to my extreme satisfaction I might add.

Suetonius decides at that point to begin with his lecture. "In the aftermath of the Great Exchange, the majority of the UAF's surviving population moved into the interior of the nation. In contrast to the bombed-out and irradiated husks of the East and West Coasts, or the oil-sullied Gulf Coast, the Midwestern and Prairie regions had comparatively minimal damage. Their cities were able to begin rebuilding almost immediately, and their agricultural status meant that they were able to directly feed their rapidly increasing population. By 2119, over 95% of the UAF's 200 million people were located between the Rocky Mountains and Appalachians. With the rapid development that occurred, as well as the current cease-fire holding between the major unions, there was a hopeful mentality among the populace. However, this would prove to be short-lived.

"There is a high possibility that the interior migration may have actually contributed to the downfall of the UAF. For one thing, the desperate circumstances of the war meant that the quarantine enacted around the Great Lakes region was no longer in effect. While most of the disease had burnt itself out, there were enough stragglers, especially of smallpox, to ensure that an epidemic soon spread throughout the nation. This was hastened by the high density of the population, well as supply convoys serving as disease highways. The epidemic would end up putting a strain on already-stretched-thin resources, as well as tensions between established residents and the new refugees. Tensions actually became so high that there was soon a risk of civil war breaking out. The point would be moot though in light of the coming cataclysm.

"The other factor that would lead to the UAF's downfall was the simple fact that the majority of its populace was now in one main region. This would put them all together in the face of the coming event:"

* * *

The label says that this footage takes place in Rapid City. The focus is on the reconstructions. One can tell that this place did not come out unscathed from the war. They are still cleaning out rubble from the city center, and all the trees lining the street are dead; tell-tale signs that this place was struck by a neutron bomb. However, it is clear that development is progressing at a rapid rate by the construction that's occurring. Judging from the people milling around, it's also one of those spots that attracted refugees.

The video progresses with the usual inane content: observations about the current clean-up and construction, interviews from the people on the ground, the occasional commentary here and there... Inane shit. Which means that something really bad is probably going to happen pretty soon.

I'm soon proven right. Everything is interrupted by a clap of thunder, which is funny since it is a clear day. However, accompanying the thunderclap is what seems to be a minor earthquake that sends folks running into the streets; though that subsides away after a couple seconds, leaving some very confused expressions. The confusion's soon joined by panic as tornado sirens begin blaring and people begin pointing in one direction. When the camera follows their gestures, it is clear what the commotion is all about.

One could call it a cloud, except that its dark grey form appears to have an almost solid composition, and it travels as if it's a liquid mass. The best way in that it could be described is how similar it is to the billowing form caused by disturbing mud in a clear pond. Above the cloud, fiery projectiles appear to arc over and away from it. Oh, and the cloud is rapidly approaching the city. And when I mean rapidly, within the span of a couple minutes, the cloud goes from be a distant object in the horizon to a practical wall taking up most of the landscape and sky in one direction. The fiery projectiles are by now traveling directly overhead, leaving behind streaks of smoke.

At this point, panic is the sole emotion shown by the populace. Some flee towards the shelter of buildings, but the majority simply starts fleeing in the direction opposite from the cloud. The video constantly flickers while the guy runs with it, indicating that the cloud is managing to disrupt the signal. By the time video finally gives out, I can actually hear the cloud approaching, along with the sounds of screams and shattering glass.

* * *

"What you just saw was a pyroclastic flow. It is a fast-moving cloud of heated gas and rock, accompanied by a cloud of ash. The speed of the cloud can reach over 700 kilometers per hour, and the temperature can be up to 1000 degrees Celsius. So, where did this cloud originate?"

The map zooms in on a spot in the mountains and nestled right against what is now Two.

"This is the Yellowstone Caldera. Back in the time of the UAF and beforehand, it was actually a popular tourist destination due to the wildlife and its geothermal features. However, it was also a powerful volcano that had erupted multiple times hundreds of thousands of years beforehand, and there were worries that it would erupt again. These worries were to the point that there was actually a project in place called the Yellowstone Initiative, undertaken with the principle tof venting the caldera to minimize the impact of an eruption. The effectiveness of the project was… debatable.

"When Yellowstone finally did erupt in the summer of 2119, it sent the flow outwards to cover the nation. Anybody within a thousand kilometer radius was guaranteed to have been initially killed off through the blast, burial, suffocation, or heat, which was enough to shatter bones. The flow also extended further eastward than it did westward due to the combination of air currents and the lack of geographical barriers.

"Beyond the pyroclastic flow, the ash sent out by the eruption not only proceeded to blanket the majority of the nation, resulting in failed crops and deaths from respiratory failures, but was also ejected into the upper atmosphere. From there it proceeded to diffuse throughout the world."

A satellite image of eruption is shown. It is almost surreal in seeing that amount of land being swallowed up so rapidly. The only upshot to this is that there are no scenes of human suffering.

"On an interesting side note, areas where the flows hit, or ashfall was especially heavy, are likely to have been well-preserved to this day due to quick burial. I some cases, the ash would preserve the outlines of people exactly how they were when they expired. One merely has to has to fill in the now-empty molds to get casts of the figures. This technique was done in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries for the Roman city of Pompeii, which was buried by Mount Vesuvius over two thousand years ago."

He shows us some images from that city, as well as another called Herculaneum. The casts do indeed show people, animals, and even food well-preserved as they fell. Buildings themselves are in excellent condition, with decorated walls retaining most of their color.

Though I could have done without the painting of a guy sporting a massive erection.

"In general, Vesuvius ensured a good look into the culture of the Roman Empire, something which would of course influence the formation of this nation. Thus, there is a possibility that we can learn more about the cities in the UAF through excavation. In fact, the Archive may undertake such an expedition in the next couple years if anybody is interested."

Unsurprisingly, most of the class looks less-than-enthused. I think it sounds boring. However, for some inexplicable reason, Dio actually has a look of interest on his face. Dio. The guy who freaks-out at the subject of death and almost had a minor breakdown at the sight of the eruption several minutes prior. Not to mention that he's still intimidated by Suetonius.

"Don't tell me you're seriously interested in working for the Archive on this," I mutter.

He shrugs. "Learning in detail about our previous civilization, and the knowledge it holds, sounds like fun."

 _So your idea of fun is digging around in the dirt and looking at old buildings. Alrighty then…_  "You do know that you will have to work with human remains, like the casts we just saw."

He pales a bit but actually manages to fully remain composed. "I'm aware. Though looking at those pictures, it actually doesn't seem that bad. Like they are simply sculpted statues."

"Okaaay. Whatever you say _…_ "

I manage to not shake my head at all this.  _It's official: the kid's definitely weird._

While we talk, Suetonius manages to segue back to the subject at hand. "In any case, the effects of the Yellowstone eruption would be observable by people in other continents by the sun always being a deep red. The ash would also end up disrupting communication and making air travel unfeasible. For the next several decades, the sky was effectively destroyed.

"Within the next several years, Lake Toba, Phlegraean Fields, and other volcanoes also proceeded in erupting. These eruptions would be called by many people the 'most inconveniently-deadly set of coincidences'.

"Accompanying the ash into the atmosphere was also sulfur dioxide gas. The combination of these compounds lowered global temperate by over 10 degrees. This would proceed in bringing about the minor ice age we now call the Long Winter. Even in areas where the ash fall was negligible, colder temperatures meant widespread crop failures."

We watch as the sheet of ice and snow steadily expands southwards, until practically all of what used to be the UAF is covered in white, except for a fringe along the south.

"The sulfur dioxide would also proceed to be converted into sulfuric acid, where it precipitated down to foul sources of water and kill off vegetation. All in all, the planet would become an uncomfortable place to live for a good portion of a century.

"Within a year of the Yellowstone eruption, at least half of the UAF's population was killed by the initial blast. Many more would die from starvation and exposure. The last known official broadcast, from Chief Commander Andrew Price, was recorded after the eruption."

* * *

"I don't know how many people may hear this message. For all I know, the only people hearing this are those here in Centerpoint, and possibly somebody listening in the far future. At the very least, I hope for the latter as it will mean that we have survived as a species and possibly as a civilization, if not a nation.

"In any case, I am going to keep this short. I suspect that nobody is in the mood for grand speeches. I know I'm not. I just want to tell those out there to do what you have to survive, but not lose yourself in the process. Because if we resort to barbarism, then we do not deserve to survive through this long winter. Also important is to help each other. If anything, do what you can to help those less fortunate than you. The more cooperation there is, the more likely that humanity will not just survive but also manage to jump-start civilization.

"And if anybody is listening to this in the future, I hope you all can learn to learn from our mistakes and avoid messing up like we had.

"Yes, I said it: we messed up. The eruption may have plunged us into winter, but it was our war that weakened us to the point of vulnerability. At this point it doesn't matter how what I say makes us look in the eyes of other nations. They are not doing any better than us. At this point, there may no longer be any nations around, so we might as well be honest with each other. What matters though is that there still are people around. With that, there is always a possible hope for the future.

"God bless America, and God bless humanity."

* * *

"By this point, the UAF, including its two constituent parts, effectively ceased to exist. The same actually went for the majority of nations around the world. The only option for the majority of the survivors was to leave and head southwards towards Mexico and Central America.

"Though a few stragglers decided to stay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. Volcanoes blew up. Everybody died.
> 
> Well, almost everybody.


	13. Here Comes the Sun

"So you're seriously planning on spending your Saturnalia here in the Capitol? You're family doesn't mind?"

Dio hasn't been able to shut up about the coming break, or winter in general, for the last couple days. So it was inevitable that he ask me about plans. Actually, I'm slightly surprised he hasn't asked me sooner.

"Well first off, we in Three just call it Solstice. Secondly, Three is  _not_  the place to be during wintertime. Thirdly, they didn't mind as long as I don't get into too much trouble. It's actually probably easier for my folks to visit me for the holiday, which they're probably going to do. Fourthly—wait, is fourthly even a word? It doesn't even sound right. I wonder if—shut up."

"I didn't say anything," he says while stifling a laugh.

"Whatever.  _Lastly_ , what about you?"

"I'm not sure. On one hand, I'd be back home. On the other, it may be interesting to see the Capitol during winter." 

"Well, then I think it'll just be the two of us. Just as well; could you imagine our RA during Solstice?"

"Um _…_  Delly lives here. Remember?"

"… Dammit."

"Wait, what's wrong with her?"

"Do you even have to ask? Nobody should be that perpetually cheerful, personable, and bubbly. It's. Just. Creepy."

"I think it's good that she has such a positive outlook on life, all things considered _…_ " He trails off and fumbles for a moment, and then perks back up as if he wasn't just making an implication about a district that was burnt to a crisp with the majority of its inhabitants. "In any case, I'm glad you're staying. This will be a fun winter break!"

_Yeah. Winter. Reeeal fun… Freak._

Seriously, why anyone would like winter is beyond my comprehension. It's cold, the air sucks moisture from the skin, everything goes dormant, and there is a minimal amount of daylight. Not to mention the snow and ice storms. But noooo; this idiot actually wants to go to the parks outside the city's force field so he can play in the snow.

However, he has such an excited grin on his face that I can't help but be infected by some of his enthusiasm.

The rest of the class is chattering about their break plans as well, something which is not lost on Suetonius.

"Yes, yes. I know all of you are excited about getting out of this class and taking advantage of your vacation. However, barring the obvious fact that you not only have the rest of this week's classes, plus finals week, I still have one more lecture to give you. I assure you that it will be short.

"As we covered last week, the multiple volcanic eruptions plunged the world into a short-term ice age known as the Long Winter. Vast tundra increased over the northern part of the landmasses. In the case of the area that used to be the UAF, some of the few places not crippled by winter were the still-toxic Gulf Coast, irradiated California, inaccessible Pacific Northwest, and arid Southwest.

"Thus began a mass exodus, which would later be known as the American Diaspora.

"The majority migrated into Latin America. It is estimated that almost ninety percent of the remaining hundred-or-so million survivors participated in the migration south of the Rio Grande River. Due to the war and occupation of Mexico by UAF forces a decade prior, that territory was easily taken over through the sheer numbers of migrants and remnants of the former UAF terrestrial military. This migration would also easily proceed into Central America. Soon the region would be known as the Mesoamerican Empire.

"The only part of Central America that would not end up being occupied by the Mesoamerican Empire would be the nation of Costa Rica-Panama, due to its easily defensible position as a narrow landmass. Also the Yucatan Peninsula managed to be avoided by the majority of the migrants, which it allowed it easily split from the Empire early on.

"Today, Mesoamerica is known to be an impoverished, polluted, and crowded region. Sectarian conflict is the norm, and disease epidemics flare up frequently. Historically, its relation to Panem has been exceedingly antagonistic. However, even though its population outnumbers ours by over twenty-fold, Panem has the advantage of not only being more technologically-advanced but also a more cohesive; Mesoamerica is more focused on keeping its people in line than territorial ambitions."

That causes Natt to drily quip, "Say a lot about their conditions if we're the cohesive and prosperous ones."

The humor isn't lost on Suetonius. "Yes, well we can only hope that they do not view our recent Rebellion as a moment of weakness. Our two nations currently retain an uneasy armistice. Also the south of our border is heavily-mined to prevent a ground incursion. The nuclear deterrent does not hurt either," he quips. "Not all results of the Diaspora ended in unpleasantness however."

"The islands in the Caribbean had a highly-enforced policy of controlling immigration to the point of shooting at any unauthorized vessel. Later on though, they would make a deal to allow in the remaining UAF's Atlantic naval force to join them, along with remnants of the Royal Navy. This, plus the influx of influential immigrants, would turn the Caribbean into a powerhouse, leading to the formation of the Confederated Islands of the Caribbean. The name soon changed to become the Confederated States of the Caribbean when the Yucatan, Costa Rica-Panama, and a portion of northern South America would end up joining the Confederation.

"The same principle would apply to the Pacific Islands. While the TOU collapsed, there was still available infrastructure, plus the assistance of remaining UAF Navy and Marine forces to help the islands coalesce into the Pacific League. Unlike the Caribbean Islands, the Pacific Islands, which mostly escaped the nuclear exchange, ended up welcoming the influx of refugees; it helped that their isolated locales prevented them from being completely swamped. The African nation of Liberia, which had a long connection to the United States, avoided nuclear strikes entirely and also welcomed a flow of Americans; you know the expanded nation today as Ghan.

"In the Pacific Northwest, the island of Haida Gwaii was already preparing for the coming conflict and cataclysm even several decades before the war began. The local government made deals with the tribes all along the northwestern coast so that in the case of a global cataclysm, they were welcome to take refuge in the island, which is what would happen after the events of the 22nd century. What helped was that not only did the island avoid the nuclear barrage, but its location meant that it was not as affected by the coming ice age. It would also welcome remnants of the UAF's armed forces, as well as prominent intellectuals and businessmen.

"While Panem currently has a healthy relationship with the latter four nations, it is the Confederacy and Haida Gwaii due to them being the closest non-hostile nations. Due to their neutrality and advanced navy, they have served as international trade middle-men for all of Panem's history. They and five other similarly-minded nations, including Ghan, also comprise the superstate of the Consortium of Seven, and are exceedingly prosperous as a result."

I know that for many here, it's actually new news that there are other nations still around us, and Suetonius actually allows them time to digest that. Then he goes straight to the point: 

"Now, what about Panem? As stated, not every person left the remains of the UAF. Decades after the eruptions, it is estimated that around five million people resided there. And there were ways in which they were able to survive. Many risked living along the Gulf Coast. The Northwest Coast was still relatively habitable. In places like the Ozarks and Appalachia, caves provided natural and climate-controlled shelters. And many communities simply persevered via determination and cooperation. Soon their wait would pay off.

"After several decades, not only had much of the ash eroded away and converted into fertile soil, but the ice age gradually came to a close. And as the Long Winter came to a close, someone new took the reins: the Society for the Preservation of Civilization.

"As they mentioned, the Society prepared for every possible contingency, including the nuclear exchange and even the Yellowstone eruption, the result of which which you may currently know it as the Hadean Wastes. Yes?"

Dio's raised hand earns a raised eyebrow from me. "Sir, I was wondering about something. Last lecture, you implied that Centerpoint was able to survive the eruption. Whatever happened to it?"

Suetonius actually looks excited at the query. "Excellent question! I was even going to bring that up but forgot until you reminded me. The short answer is that the city itself is still there. In fact the buildings are in remarkable condition. The Capitol kept it secret for fears that it could be utilized as a rebel stronghold. As for the people themselves… That remains a mystery. Expeditions have found no trace of human remains; not in the city or its surroundings. However there is evidence to show that the city was inhabited and operational even up into the early years of Panem. So it is clear that the CDA did not participate in the Diaspora. Where the people went, nobody knows."

Despite the non-answer, there's an expression of excitement on Dio's face.

I roll my eyes at him. "Don't tell me that you think the Northern Wilderness holds people more advanced than wildlings."

In response, he sets his jaw. "Don't be a spoilsport. Look how massive the Wilderness is; a large group of people couple could be anywhere. And conditions now are much more hospitable than during the eruption."

I decide not to argue the point. For someone usually so passive, when Dio's mind settles on something, it's hard to shake him off it. Besides, Suetonius is getting back to the subject of the facilities, so I might as well pay attention for the rest of the period.

"Even those that were in areas completely buried by the eruption were prepared as they were capable of completely sealing themselves off for years at a time and had tools to dig themselves out. All fourteen facilities would end up surviving the cataclysm.

"As the Long Winter commenced, these facilities went to work forging connections to the outside. Most would end up being fully absorbed in the regional powers that typified that era. However, many would also retain contact with the main facility, which kept with its primary focus in mind. And as the the Long Winter came to a close, those contacts ensured a coordination with various communities, especially in the wake of most of the regional governments either collapsing or finding continued independence unfeasible. That coordination was fostered with a mentality of creating and becoming part of something greater.

"So in 2349 CE, or 0 AF, a new nation came into being.

"Thank you for listening, and I will see you next semester. Remember to have the supplementary book for that class.

"Also, before I dismiss this one, I have one last thing to for all of you to listen to:"

* * *

"Over two hundred years ago, my ancestor, Dr. Carl Vega began the Society because he knew that there would be a great cataclysm on the horizon. That while humanity would survive, most civilizations would crumble under the onslaught of disaster by both the hand of man and of God. And he was right: there was a cataclysm. He was however also right in that we would be able to persevere to become whole.

"And look before you now. Bands of survivors became communities. Those communities interconnected with one another. And now, a nation has come to fruition. And while the society may have been able to provide the materials to help the rebuilding process, it was through sheer perseverance of the indomitable human spirit that we were able to come together as a power.

"It is my hope that from here, we can then go even further. We can go past just being a nation into becoming a civilization for the history books. If Rome was capable of going from a small town in Italia to a civilization for which many would spin off from, we are capable of just as much greatness.

"One thing we should not forget is the tribulation this land and the people went through: from the devastation to the long winter. Thus, in memory of the cold and trying times, I ordain that every leader of this nation forsake their family name and take up the title of 'Snow'. For it is only with the knowledge of the harsh winter that we can cherish the nurturing spring.

"Just as we should not forget the horrors of the past, we should also look to the hope of the future. We should look forwards in anticipation of plenty and sustenance. We should have a sign to show that we, the people, will no longer grow hungry. And what better way to do so than through our nation itself? So I looked to the principle that provided the groundwork for the Society in the first place.

"And therefore, I, President Romulus Snow, do hereby christen this fledgling nation to be known as 'Panem'."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand… Scene.
> 
> Continue to "Da vita Snowum" if you want to see the history of Panem itself. Let's just say the format's a bit different.
> 
> Also, if you are wondering what kind of place the Mesoamerican Empire is like, imagine Somalia... except bigger. In contrast, the Consortium States are like a mixture between Singapore and Switzerland.


End file.
